Freelancer to Hunter
by GaryOkampo
Summary: AU: After realizing the true face of Project Freelancer, Agent Washington flees his homeland to start over and decides to seek redemption as a hunter. Now attending Beacon, can this Ex-Freelancer among hunters hide from his past? Will he face betrayal once again? And how far will the Director go to get what he wants? Find out in the greatest! Fanfiction! Ever! Of all time!
1. A Second Chance

**A/N: The inspiration I got for this fanfic was when I thought of putting my favorite RVB character into the world of RWBY. I know RVB & RWBY crossovers are not uncommon, but this takes place in a world where Project Freelancer is part of the RWBY universe. There will be slight AU moments, but I will try to follow the plot of both shows.**

**Please note that David AKA Agent Washington is 19yrs-old in this story, but the other Freelancer characters are the same age as the show.**

**Don't hesitate to comment, and most importantly, review.**

**Warning: RVB & RWBY belong to Roosterteeth.**

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_It all started with a phrase, a simple phrase implanted in my head. What followed was the pain, the agony, the torture it felt everyday. All of this was because of the organization, the agents, and the director who I trusted and considered my friends. But I was gravely mistaken. All my life I have faced nothing but betrayal. That's when it hit me. You can't. Trust. Anyone._

* * *

"Your attention please! We will be arriving at Beacon Academy shortly. Please gather your personal items and exit in an orderly fashion."

Finally, I've been on this damn ship for nearly three hours. I watch as the doors to the dust-plane open, but contrary to the PA system, the only person exiting is me. As they lower the ramp I look towards Beacon academy, pretty fancy for a school to train monster-hunters. The sun was setting, meaning classes were already over and few students were going to be on campus. That works for me since I'm trying to keep a low profile which also means I can't wear my old armor. Currently I'm wearing gray jeans, sneakers, and jacket along with a pair of dark orange sunglasses to cover my eyes, and a baseball cap with thick yellow line down the middle for my hair. At the bottom of the exit ramp was a man in a green suit with gray hair, a cane, and a cup of coffee. Next to him was a woman with blonde hair and green eyes wearing black boots, leggings, dress, and white top. She also wore a black and purple cape.

"Greetings, I am Professor Ozpin headmaster of Beacon Academy. This is Ms. Glynda Goodwitch, my assistant. It is a pleasure to meet you David," Ozpin says in a greeting tone.

"Call me Washington," I reply with a grumble.

Ozpin raises one of his eyebrows.

"Are you not comfortable with others calling you by your real name?" he asks.

"I only let people I trust call me by _that_ name," I answer back.

"And there are?" he asks inquiringly.

"None," I answer back again coldly.

Ozpin stares at me showing no change to my answer.

He finally speaks, "Very well, but I hope your time at this school will teach you to open-up more."

I remain silent and follow them to the dorm rooms while Glynda gives a long explanation about my time at Beacon.

"Because you have applied to this school, you will have to pass initiation. However, since you have begun attending here a week after the year started, you will have a small test."

I continue to listen silently as we walked through the "grand halls" of Beacon.

"During your time here you will act like any other student. You will attend mission briefings when given and are expected to obey school rules. If you do not you will face severe punishment. Any questions?" she finishes looking at me with a stern look.

"Yeah, about my past. How many people know?" I ask them.

"Only Ms. Goodwitch and I know of what you've done and what you had to endure," Ozpin answers, "Should you choose to reveal it, that depends on you."

I glared at them under my sunglasses which was basically telling them I never will. Both appear to be unphased by my reaction and lead me to my room.

"This room is meant for a whole team, but since there are no spaces available you will stay here," Glynda explains.

I give a simple nod and put down my bag inside.

"You will face your test on Friday. You have five days until then, I suggest you use your time wisely," she says in a serious tone.

Goodwitch closes the door and I'm left alone in my new room. After doing a quick scan of the area I know I have a bed in the far right corner which is a good distance from the window and the door. The bathroom was across from my bed so I would have to move quickly when doing my morning routine. My only problem is my desk which is in front of the window leaving me exposed to a sniper. Nothing that a quick move around could fix.

After making sure that there wasn't any listening or tracking devices in the vicinity, I placed my bag at the edge of my bed and lay down to rest. For extra security, I place my magnum under my pillow. It can be exhausting when trying to take in account every possible threat every second of the day and believe me, I know that feeling first hand. I try to get some well deserved sleep after the long flight from my old home to here. Yet all I could think about was that this was my chance to do some "real good". I wasn't going to let anybody take this away from me. Not even you...Director.

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**Authors Note: First chapter done and many more to come. This is my first time asking, but I need some help with this story. Any beta readers who wanna help with this story, feel free to send me a message.**


	2. It's All Wrong

**Authors Note: Here is another chapter! It's a bit on the short side, but I promise later chapters will be longer.**

**Now that's settled let us follow our favorite Freelancer's journey.**

* * *

"_...don't say goodbye, I hate goodbyes."_

"_It's the 'or something' that worries me."_

"_It's Agent Texas, she's dead."_

"_No. No. NO!"_

* * *

I wake up with cold sweat moving down my forehead. Damn nightmares again! I can't even get a good night's sleep. My breathing was rapid as I tried to calm down my heart rate. When you've endured as much as I have and survived, you too would question whether you're sane or not. It's ironic that the breaking of one's sanity can snap you to reality.

I look at my clock and find that it's 7am. My initiation test was in five days so I better start training with my greatest weakness, hand-to-hand combat. Compared to the others at Project Freelancer I was the worst fighter. Agents Carolina and Tex could do things the human body would deem impossible. During both training sessions and missions I got my ass kicked every time. However, if I'm ever going to attend Beacon, then I have to try. I put on some gray workout sweats with yellow trims, a gray shirt, my sunglasses, and my baseball cap and head towards the gym.

The training gym on campus looked like any other weight room. Some weights here, a few dumbbells there, and a punching bag to relieve stress. In the center was a boxing ring for some sparring. God does that bring back memories. Reminds me of the time when York, Maine, and Wyoming fought against and lost to Texas. That was the day when all the guys in the agency gave her the nickname "Ball Buster". It was also the same day when York lost his eye due to a training incident.

I shake my head to get rid of the memories, its something I don't want to think about right now. I practice on the punching bag first with basic combat stances, punches, and kicks. I know I wasn't the best fighter, but I know that I'm better than an average sim-trooper and/or soldier. I continue to hit the bag letting out the frustration I felt last night until I hear something that interrupts my train of thought.

"Your forms all wrong," said a voice.

I turn around and see that it's girl leaning on the ropes of the boxing ring. She had long blonde hair with lilac eyes and was wearing a simple orange tank top and black workout shorts. Her choice of dress was a bit...revealing, but I quickly subdued those thoughts. She was lean, but I could tell she had some muscle on her meaning she came here often to train. I couldn't find any hidden weapons or wires on her and it would probably be impossible to hide anything due to her…lack of clothing. Once again, I suppress those inappropriate thoughts. The girl also had a smug smirk on her face as if she was saying 'I know what I'm talking about'.

"Thanks for the advice," I answer with little to no joy in my voice and continue hitting the bag.

"I've never seen you before. Are you new?" she asks.

I remain silent and continue abusing the bag.

"You know your form's still wrong," she interrupts again.

I let out a groan, "And you can do better?"

"Way better," she grins again.

"I take that as a challenge then?"

"If you're up for it," she answers again inviting me to the ring.

I know most people say it's wrong to hit a girl, but if the flashes I received from last night were going to be problem, then I was going to need something to distract me. Don't worry, I was planning to go easy on her.

I put on some boxing tape and MMA gloves and step inside. She stands on the opposite corner warming up with some light jabs.

"You wanna do something about your glasses and your hat?" she asks.

"No. You wanna do something about your hair?" I ask back.

"Nobody touches the hair!" she quips as she puts it into a ponytail.

She seems to care a lot about that, but it's going to get in the way when she moves which will give _me_ the edge. We gently tap fists and begin the match. She comes at me with some jabs that I easily dodged. I try to counter with a strike but she deflects it with an elbow. I quickly do a roundhouse, but she's able to block it. We exchanged blows for a little while and each of my attacks were either deflected or blocked. In an act of desperation I try to give a right hook to her stomach. She grabs my arm and elbows me in my chest then spins me around and delivers a spinning kick to my face. I land on my back with a _thud_ taking in the force of the kick. The feeling deeply reminds me of the time I sparred against Carolina, and lost. She offers me a hand and pulls me up, pretty strong despite her appearance.

"Not bad, but you made some major mistakes back there," she tells me.

"And those would be?"

"Your movements, though powerful, are too slow. I could see them coming at me before you even thought of them. Second is you shouldn't act out of desperation. I noticed you tried to give me a right hook to end it all. Don't assume you can end everything with a final strike. Keep on hitting until your opponent goes down."

"You know a lot about fighting," I respond, slightly impressed.

"Meh. It's my thing," She shrugs and looks at the clock, "Crap, it's 8:30!"

Gathering her things like lightning she leaves the gym.

She stops while still jogging in place and looks at me, "I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

"It's Washington," I answer

"Yang. You gonna be here tomorrow Wash?" she asks again.

Did she just call me Wash?

I didn't understand at the time, but I distinctly remember saying, "Yes."

"Awesome. I'm running late gotta go bye!" she says as she exits.

As she leaves the room _her_ voice suddenly pops in my head.

_Don't say goodbye._

I grab my head in pain from the phrase. The pain lasts only for few moments, thankfully Yang wasn't there when it happened. I did NOT want to deal with questions on the first day.

All I could mutter was, "Goddammit!"

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**Author's note: I know some haters might say that Washington shouldn't be able to lose to Yang because he is a highly trained operative, but that's what happens when you underestimate the blonde brawler.**

**Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

**See you next chapter!**


	3. Initiation Beatdown

**Author's Note: Here are some facts for those who have trouble picturing Wash's outfit and equipment.**

**-Wash's weapons are the Halo 4 versions of the battle rifle and magnum**

**-He carries a healing unit that looks like a Halo 3 ****re-generator**

**-The gauntlet on his right forearm is like the ones in COD BO2**

**The rest of his clothes are described in the chapter. Without further ado, enjoy!**

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Today is the day, my initiation. I spent the last few days training with Yang learning new techniques as well as getting my ass handed to me. I either spent the rest of those days working on my marksmanship or getting the layout of the campus. In my opinion, this place was too exposed for an attack and was too…"fancy" to what I'm used to. But, it's an academy, so it has to look like some rich kids school. Right now I'm in the locker room getting ready for whatever challenge I was going to face. I open my locker and put on a makeshift outfit out of some things I got from a local weapons shop yesterday. My legs had metal plated boots and steel gray combat pants with yellow-trimmed knee pads and a holster. My upper body was covered with a combat hoodie with a yellow stripe on top of the hood and on the sleeves along with a Matrix TF3 vest with yellow trims. I covered half my face with a steel gray balaclava while the orange tactical sunglasses and baseball cap I usually wear covered the other. The only thing I have from my old uniform is my EMP unit on my gauntlet and a Healing unit in one of my pockets. I had a pair of gray combat gloves on my hands as well. Professor Goodwitch also gave me non-lethal rounds for my battle-rifle and magnum, so I can use my guns without hurting anyone.

After putting on all of my equipment, I load up and head towards the arena/auditorium for my initiation.

* * *

**Yang's POV**

It was weird that Wash wasn't at the gym this morning. We've been training hand-to-hand for the past few days and I was planning to teach him grappling today. People think it's "inappropriate" for a girl to teach a guy grappling, and they're right, but I mainly wanna see the look on his face. Wait a minute, he always wears those sunglasses and ball cap all the time. I wonder if he's the hides-their-faces-but-are-surprisingly-hot kind of guy. Oh well, it's Friday and that means this weekend I get to lay back and relax. That is if Professor Port would eventually shut up about his life stories for the millionth time this week.

We suddenly hear a message over the PA.

Thank. God.

"Would teams RWBY and JNPR please report to the auditorium. I repeat, teams RWBY and JNPR report to the auditorium."

As we walk towards our destination we came up with a bunch of theories of why we were called.

"Maybe it's a mission," my sister Ruby states.

"The message didn't seem urgent," Pyrrha follows.

Nora oddly says, "Maybe it's someone's birthday and we're gonna get cake."

Ren, as usual, corrects her, "Nora, no one's birthday is today."

"The cake was a lie!?" she whines.

The happy couple continued their discussion about cake while we kept on walking.

Weiss rubs her forehead in frustration, "Yang, I swear if this is because you broke more school rules I'll-"

"Relax Weiss, you know I've been a good girl all week," I answer with a grin.

"Speaking of which you've been waking up earlier than all of us lately," Ruby stares at me with curious eyes.

I answer back with confidence, "I've been training you know that."

"Maybe it's a guy. Oooo, maybe they're having secret rendezvous!" Nora says gleefully.

"What!? It's not a guy, I just like to work out," I partially lied.

We arrive at the auditorium and we find Professor Ozpin, Goodwitch, and a guy on stage.

"Well whatever it is. I think it has something to do with him," Jaune says pointing at the guy near Ozpin.

His clothes were all steel gray with yellow trims. Somehow I feel like I've seen him before despite that he was covering his face. I ignored the thought and got on stage with the others in line in front of Ozpin.

He greets us, "Good you're all here. Today we're going to have an initiation for a new student. However, since it has been a week into the semester we would like you to assist us in welcoming him."

The guy next to him walks up standing next to Ozpin.

"This is D-I mean Washington. Due to certain circumstances he is very shy in showing his face. Don't worry, I am sure he will eventually open up to you all."

Washington looks at Ozpin and then looks at us giving a silent nod. Ruby and Nora try to give friendly waves, but he does nothing.

Wait, Washington!? It couldn't be.

"Wash?" I ask.

He looks at me, but then turns his head away.

"It's me, Yang. You know, the girl who has kicked your ass the past few days."

"Please try not to remind me," he answers slightly irritated.

Typical Wash.

"Wait you two know each other?" Weiss asks.

I try to answer, "Yeah we've-"

"Ahem," Goodwitch interrupts us, "Right now, Mr. Washington needs to pass an initiation test in order to get into Beacon. You eight will face him one-by-one in consecutive rounds. If he can defeat at least four of you then he passes. Head to the locker room, put on your combat gear, and report back here in ten minutes."

We all nod our heads and walk towards our lockers. Man I love Fridays.

* * *

**Washington POV**

"Why didn't you tell me I was going to fight eight people one at a time?" I ask Ozpin as we watch the others leave.

"Always expect the unexpected. If we told every student what the initiation was then we would have many more students attending Beacon," He answers.

In a way that makes sense. Knowing what's on the test makes it easier to be tempted to cheat.

"So how do you know Ms. Xiao Long?" he asks me.

"Who?"

"The blonde one who called you 'Wash'," the headmaster teased with a smirk.

I ignored his attempt at being funny, "She tutored me on hand-to-hand combat during my first few days here."

"Well it seems it is the time to put those new skills to the test."

The eight of them come back all armed and prepped for battle. The order of who I was going to fight was random in order to keep me on my toes. My first opponent was a blonde guy identified as Jaune by his cohorts. His outfit was similar to civilian wear only it had bits of armor covering it. His weapon was a simple sword and sheath that turned into a shield. He seemed nervous when facing me which caused him to leave himself wide open. Apparently he was the weakest of the group as he jumped back as he blocked a three-round-burst. I quickly closed the gap and he was taken down by a simple rifle-butt to the head. Jaune was helped off stage by a girl with bronze armor, green eyes, and long red hair. It must have been my imagination, but her appearance was _too_ close of a resemblance to Carolina. I'll have to be careful around her.

Next up was a girl in pink named Nora who carried a grenade launcher that could turn into a hammer. Despite her small size, she carried the massive weapon like it was nothing. I took her down after using my EMP unit to keep her weapon in hammer form. I was able to dodge her swings and she eventually got tired after swinging around for so long. I took her out with a few shots to the stomach. Nora walked off stage rubbing her bruises and, as if on instinct, sat next to an Asian man with pink eyes. I could have sworn that he was glaring at me after examining her, but ignored it.

My third opponent was a young girl in a red cloak. Before our match started, I couldn't help but notice that Yang was acting different around her. She was still loud and brash, but also kind and supportive. Her little sister perhaps? Odd how the two look nothing alike, one of them is probably adopted. However, what really put me off was her sniper rifle that turned into a massive scythe. Fighting her was a bit difficult but I exhausted her movements and ammo by keeping her back with my rifle. She eventually ran out of bullets trying to propel herself to get around me. The girl went for a final slash, but I was able to dodge by lunging towards her and took her down with a knee to the stomach. I held back a little because she was the youngest of the group.

Finally, my opponent was Yang.

"You ready for this?" she asks with her usual smug grin.

"I think I have the advantage this time," I answer back.

"And what is that?"

"A gun."

I quickly open fire and let out a 3-round burst straight at her. They were non-lethal so the worst they would do was give a painful sting. She dodges out of the way and arms her gauntlets.

"You're not the only one," she smirks and chambers a round.

She fires a chain of shotgun blast from her wrist which I dodge-rolled out of the way. I continue firing at her, hoping to at least hit her once. Sadly she used her gauntlets to propel herself around me. What she doesn't know is where I fail in CQC, I make up for it in marksmanship. Luckily I was able to get a round in her shoulder and she fell to the ground. I try to end it by hitting her with the butt of my rifle, but she quickly rolls out of the way. She gets up and we both aim our weapons at each other.

"What'd I say about acting out of desperation?" she playfully asks.

"To never do it and keep on hitting," I say sarcastically.

She grins and we continue the match. Yang throws a shotgun-powered punch but I'm able to deflect it with my rifle. She then throws a roundhouse kick, but I'm able to block it. I back away and unload some rounds only to have them deflected by her gauntlets. One of my rounds was able to make it passed her head and went straight through her hair. The whole crowd gasped at the sight of the few strands that fell to the ground.

What was the big deal, it's just hair?

I found the answer to my question when I heard heavy breathing in front of me. There I saw Yang, breathing so deep through her teeth, she looked like she was about to explode. Her fists were curled to the point that I could hear the straining of the muscles in her hands.

"Yang?" I ask with caution, "Are you okay?"

She didn't say anything for few moments, "You," she looked straight at me, her eyes blood red instead of their usual lilac color, "You SON OF A BITCH!"

At that moment she propelled herself towards me at blazing speed. I was able to block her punch at the last second, using my rifle as a shield. She eventually threw another and then another and another. Was it me, or were her punches getting stronger!? She then threw one final punch that sent my rifle spinning across the arena floor. I used that as my chance to activate my EMP unit just as Yang is about to unload a fiery fury of shotgun shells. Distracted by her weapon's malfunction it gave me enough time to tackle her to the ground. She tries to attack again, but I pin her wrists above her head. For a few short moments that felt like hours, I was using all of my strength to keep Yang from bashing my face in. Eventually her eyes returned to her usual color, but I'm still not convinced she isn't a threat. While on top of her I place my magnum between her eyes and give a threatening glare(though she can't really see my eyes through my glasses).

"Hands up!" I shout.

She looks at me and rolls her eyes as she mockingly did what I told her. I immediately get off of her, but I keep my pistol aimed at her.

"You gonna help me up?" she asks sticking out her hans

I narrowed my eyes and kept my pistol drawn.

"Okay, fine," she huffs and helps herself up, "So much for being a gentleman."

She looks at me notices I still have my weapon aimed at her, "Could you point that thing somewhere else please!"

Looks like she's back to her usual self, I holster my magnum and pick up my battle rifle.

After a quick examination, I found noticeable dents on the weapon along with the whole thing being bent slightly. There's not telling how bad it is inside. A thought crossed my mind that this rifle could have been me, but I quickly put it in the back of my head.

Goddammit, it looks like I'll have to repair it!

"What the hell just happened?" I asked slightly pissed at the state of my primary weapon, but mostly at the perpetrator.

"Oh that," Yang chuckles and rubs the back of her head, but quickly crosses her arms, "Well that's what happens when you mess with my hair!"

I furrowed my eyebrows at that statement. She mentioned something about her hair before, but I thought that meant she just takes good care of it. It's not something to kill someone over.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I heard Ozpin clapping as he approached us.

"Congratulations Washington, you are now a student at Beacon Academy," he announces to everyone in the room, "From this day forward you will be part of teams RWBY and JNPR."

At that moment, my stomach twisted itself to the point that it didn't even look like a stomach.

"What do you mean 'part of a team'!?" I shout, "The deal was that I get to work alone!"

The others look at me like I'm crazy wondering why someone would rather work solo than on a team. Ozpin gives a long glare at me until he finishes his announcement.

"As I did. You will still be working alone, but as support to both teams. I suggest you get along with them so you can do your job," he says still glaring at me.

I clenched my fists at his words. I wanted to become a hunter, but I wanted to do it by myself. After what happened at Project Freelancer, I couldn't trust anyone anymore. So how am I going to trust a bunch of people I just met today, one of which who tried kill me.

Ozpin tells the rest of the students, "Thank you all for participating, enjoy the rest of your day."

As he leaves the auditorium I feel Yang's arm over my shoulder.

"Looks like we're teammates 'ey Wash!" she says with a joyful grin

"Get off of me," I reply not even trying to hide my irritation.

Her lilac eyes were filled with shock as I walk towards the locker room alone…just the way I like it.

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**Author's note: For those who weren't satisfied with Wash losing to Yang last chapter, I hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know what you think in a review.**

**GaryOkampo logging off.**


	4. I Can't Trust Anyone

**Author's Note: I come to you with an another chapter! I had so much fun working on the last one that I couldn't wait to add another.**

* * *

**Many years ago….**

York was laying on the ground giving out painful groans. His armor was damaged and his visor was cracked due to Maine and Wyoming's antics of bringing live ammo onto the training floor. The Director eventually arrived onto the scene and I was sure that they would be punished.

"Everyone, stand down! Now!" he shouts causing us to quickly get in line, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I expect you to act as a team."

I try to explain the situation, "They were using live ammunition on the floor sir. That's against regulations."

The Director suddenly gets into my face, "Do you think our enemies will care about regulations on the battlefield Agent Washington!?"

"So...you're not punishing them?" I ask confused as I backed away from his outburst.

"Ingenuity and adaptability are admirable traits," he says returning to his calm demeanor as he watched the medics who were helping York.

He turns and walks away with the councilor following behind him, "You should all learn something from this."

I couldn't believe it. Regulations were clearly broken, not only did the Director let it slide but he praised Maine and Wyoming's actions. It should have hit me that there was something strange about the project, but I continued to follow orders like a good soldier.

* * *

**Present Day….**

"Mr. Washington? Mr. Washington!"

"Huh! Wah!"

"Mr. Washington, I expect you to pay attention in my class instead of daydreaming," Professor Oobleck says in his usual speedy manner.

Right now I'm in history class with Professor Bartholomew Oobleck. The way this guy moves at such a fast pace would put Carolina to shame. I wonder if he has some advanced tech on him, that or he really loves coffee.

He quickly resumes his lecture, no pun intended, "Now class, as I mentioned before, many nations handled the Faunus War differently. One of these was the country of Gulch or most famously known as 'Blood Gulch' for it's violent history. Despite that, Gulch has been able to produce technologies far more advanced than any country in the world due to it being one of the rare nations that has very small Dust mines. During the war, they applied these sciences to the war effort and are now using it to hunt down the White Fang."

Everyone in class tries to play close attention, but most have probably given up because of how fast this guy was talking.

"There have been many rumors surrounding the nation's government. One of which was a secret military project where super-soldiers hunted down the White Fang and prevented any attacks. Others ranging from a civil wars over flags to first contact with alien life. This is just one of the many rumors surrounding Gulch."

Oobleck may be hyperactive, but the man knew his history. Except we weren't super-soldiers, we were "highly-trained" operatives. Gulch may have been the most prominent non-dust dependent society in the world, but it also had its share of problems. Project Freelancer started out with noble intentions, but then we…I don't know…we just got worse.

He then announces, "I want a report on my desk next week about one of the rumors surrounding Gulch distinguishing the difference between fact and fiction. Thatisallclassdismissed!" and exits as soon as he finished.

Finally it was lunch time. Despite the fact that Oobleck moves like a hamster on coffee, his classes go on forever. I enter the cafeteria and do a quick scan of the area. The place is filled to the brim with students making it difficult to track them all. The main entrance was the archway I came in along with the exits in the kitchen for the staff. I'll have to find a spot where I can over watch the entrance and the kitchen. Preferably alone. However it seemed some mystical force out there enjoyed screwing with me as I suddenly felt a tug on my arm.

"Yang, what are you doing?" I ask annoyed.

"You're one of our teammates dude. Everybody wants to get to know ya," She says with her usual grin.

I roll my eyes in annoyance. Does she really expect me to forget what happened in the arena? Much less am I going to get along with a bunch of strangers. I try to escape, but her grip was a strong as steel. I decided to just let her take me and let everybody know that I wasn't interested. With a bit of force she places me at the table where Team RWBY and JNPR were eating lunch. Both teams looked at me with curious eyes after my outburst yesterday until the tension between us was getting thick.

"Soooooo," Yang says, trying to lighten the mood, "You guys got any questions for Wash?"

They all look at each other and decide to play along.

The first was the girl in bronze from yesterday, "Where are you from?"

Looks like Carolina. Sounds like Carolina too. I _definitely_ don't want to work with this people.

"Can't say," I answer coldly.

Then Jaune, "What school did you go to?"

"Can't say."

Followed by the girl in red, "What weapons do you have?"

"A battle rifle and a magnum."

Then Nora, "Is your first name 'Washington' or is it your last name?"

"Can't say."

Finally some rich girl in white who I recognized as Weiss Schnee, "You can't say your real name?"

"Can't say."

A girl with a black bow, who took a break from her book asks, "Why not?"

"I don't trust anyone," I answer coldly with a bit of anger.

The table is enveloped with silence and they seem taken aback by my statement. Hopefully this will teach them to keep their distance from me. I silently get up and walk away.

Why should I work with a team? After what I've been through, no way. Never again.

As I walk through the hallway, Ozpin appears from around the corner.

He speaks to me with a serious tone, "When I said you would attend this academy. I expected you to open up more."

* * *

**Yang POV**

"What's with him?" Ruby asks as Wash walks off.

Weiss answers in a snobbish manner, "Clearly Washington is nothing more than a cold-hearted brute."

I try to defend him, "He's just doesn't know how to deal with people."

"How would you know that!?"

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Nora shouts getting up from her seat, "He was the guy you were meeting during your secret rendezvous."

Everyone at the table looks at me with extreme curiosity, mainly my sister.

I immediately put my hands up, "No it's not like that! Well, yeah we did meet before his test, but it was to simply train."

"Riiiiiggghht," Ruby teasingly says giving me a playful look.

Well now this is awkward, usually it's me who does the teasing, but here the _tables_ were turned. HA, that was a good one! I mean it's not like I hate him, he's just a bit anti-social. Besides I don't even know if he's a hot guy under those sunglasses and baseball cap. If he is than maybe I can work my magic- WAIT! Don't even go their Yang, you're a huntress-in-training now. You can only party, flirt, and maybe get some on Fridays and the weekend. Man, trying to be a good student sucks.

I let out a sigh, "Look, let me talk to him. See what's on his mind."

I then run off trying to find Wash.

* * *

**Washington POV**

Ozpin starts his lecture, "David-"

I immediately shoot him down with an angry and annoyed look which Ozpin notices but continues anyway.

"Washington, I know it may seem that you have been betrayed. But I assure you, this is for the best."

"You expect me to believe that?" I reply still miffed.

"Being the support for the two teams means you have to help these students physically _and_ emotionally."

"So I'm their babysitter," I state sarcastically.

Ozpin let out a small smirk, "More like their backup slash psychiatrist slash...friend."

"Friend?" My eyes slightly widen until I let out a dry chuckle, "In case if you haven't noticed _Headmaster_, but I don't have any friends."

I cross my arms under my chest, "And I don't exactly have that greatest of people skills."

"Not the way you are now, but you are different from the way you were before the 'incident' at Project Freelancer."

My eyes then completely widen under my glasses, "How did you-?"

"I have my ways _Agent_ Washington," Ozpin smirked again and then returned to a neutral state, "And I know that you have been through a lot. What you've endured would break any sane man, though it has been brought into question. Despite that, you overcame it and decided to become a hunter. However, becoming one is only the first step in your redemption," he then leans forward into my face, "Regaining your humanity is the next."

I remain silent as I continue to listen to every word.

"Both teams RWBY and JNPR are some of the brightest and most talented groups at Beacon. I can see that they have a bright future awaiting them. But, they are also very naive. Some have no idea to how cruel the world really is and eventually their courage will falter. Your job, your mission, is to ensure that it never happens. In time they will learn to trust you and I sincerely hope that you will do the same."

I eventually remembered something from my past. The one event in my life that caused me to never trust anyone ever again.

"The last time I trusted someone…I was shot in the back," I state in a cold voice.

Ozpin remains silent and continues to look at me while I gaze at the floor.

* * *

**Yang POV**

Goddammit where is he!? I've been looking for him for hours(actually it's been 5 minutes). What's his problem? We were just trying to get to know him, sure I may have almost killed him yesterday, but he didn't have to act all harsh like that. Somebody has got A LOT of explaining to do.

I eventually hear a voice from around the corner that sounded like Professor Ozpin.

"In time they will learn to trust you and I sincerely hope that you will do the same."

I take a glance around the corner and find Professor Ozpin and Wash talking to each other.

Wash raises his head and looks at the Headmaster, "The last time I trusted someone…I was shot in the back."

Wait! Wash was shot! Not only that but by someone he trusted. No wonder he has people/trust issues. I guess my little outrage destroyed our friendship. Companionship? Camaraderie? Whatever was destroyed!

The two stare at each other more until Ozpin walks down the hallway leaving Wash who was staring at the floor.

"The past can be quite a burden on us Agent Washington," he says looking back at him, "You must learn to overcome it…for your sake _and_ theirs."

Wash regains his senses and walks in the opposite direction. I quickly leave hoping that he didn't see me.

* * *

**Washington POV**

The night sky eventually arrived and I was sitting alone, cross-legged next to my bed with neatly organized rifle parts in front of me. The school's weapon's expert and also blacksmith was kind enough to make the parts needed to fix my weapon. He offered to repair it for me, but I told him I could do it myself. As I sat there polishing and putting my primary weapon back together, Ozpin's little speech kept replaying in my head. Should I open up to them? They're my teammates now so I should, right? No I can't! Not after what happened back then. I let out a long sigh mentally looking over my options. I seriously don't know what to do right now.

"_You wanna talk about it?_" came a voice.

"No. I don't," I answer back coldly.

"_You're still mad about that time. Aren't you?_" it said.

"You did give me the worst headache ever."

"_Of all time. Yeah, I remember,_" was what it said as it formed on my desk next to my bed.

It appeared in the form of a young man, probably in his twenties. His holographic body was cobalt with circuits flowing along his "skin" while his hair was black and scraggly.

I paused for moment after I finished assembling my battle rifle, "What are you doing? You never come out."

"_I normally don't, but you need help,_" the figure said.

I scoff as I checked the sights, "Right cause the thing in my head that made me cynical wants to help me think more positive."

"_Look, I'm sorry that you were chosen to be with me!_" the figure shouted, "_But we're partners now and partners lookout for each other._"

I get up and lean towards it, "We are not partners. Because of you I'm all alone and I hate you for it. The only reason I'm keeping you inside my head is because you're leverage."

The figure looked down appearing like it felt guilty as I then hear a knock on the door.

"Log off," I commanded and it complied.

I grabbed the magnum from under my pillow and slowly approached the door. I open it while keeping the pistol behind my back expecting to find trouble. Instead of a threat, I found Yang, who oddly didn't seem to be in her usual happy mood.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," I said back.

"So...watcha doin?" she asks.

"Fixing the rifle that _you_ broke," I stated bluntly.

"Yeah that," she dryly laughs

I noticed she was holding a mental debate as I could see her eyes moving to both ends of the hallway, "Can I…can I come in?"

I ponder for a minute but eventually let her in. She enters and looks around my room which gives me time to put my magnum back under my pillow.

"Nice place, but it's a bit spacious. It could use some things to brighten it up a little. A couple of posters, a few porn magazines under the bed-."

"What do you want?" I say getting straight to the point.

She stops what she's doing and takes a deep breath.

She looks at me with an unexpected seriousness in her eyes, "I heard your conversation with Professor Ozpin."

My eyes widen under my glasses(again), "What did you hear!? How much do you know!?"

Yang raises her hands and calmly explains, "I only heard the part about you being shot in the back. I didn't hear anything before that."

I relax a little, relieved that my secret wasn't exposed.

"I can't imagine how it felt for you. To be betrayed like that," she says.

I remain silent as Yang walks towards me, "Look, I'm sorry that we bombarded you with questions earlier today. We just wanted to get to know you."

Our faces were eventually looking at each other, my sunglasses into her lilac eyes.

"You don't have to open up to us as soon as you can. Just…take it slow."

This girl…she is willing to trust me, despite how I reacted earlier. No one has ever done that to me. Not since…

I tried to say something, but the words were blocked.

"I…I was on one...a team I mean," I admit and return to my silence.

Yang lets out a smile, "It's a start."

She walks out, but stops at the door frame, "I'm sorry about your weapon, I sometimes can't think straight when I'm angry."

A short glance at her face showed me that she really did feel guilty from what happened the past two days. I don't know why, but a part of me didn't want this to end with her hating herself.

"Yang," I sheepishly said causing her to turn towards me, "I'll…try."

She smiles again and closes the door as she leaves. As soon as she's gone the figure from before forms behind me.

"What is it?" I ask.

"_I don't know. She just feels…familiar,_" it said confused.

"Feels?"

"_It's probably nothing._"

"Okay then," I said and got ready for bed.

I lay down until the figure says it's final words, "_Hey Wash?_"

"Yeah?" I asked as I covered myself with a blanket.

"_I really do hope things work out here,_" it said and disappears.

After it vanished, a few words escaped my mouth as I wondered if it heard me.

"_Me too Epsilon,_" I close my eyes as I tried to get some sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: So it seems our favorite AI is still with our favorite Ex-Freelancer. And is there something going on between Wash and Yang? Let me know what you guys think in a review.**

**GaryOkampo logging off.**


	5. Meet the Team

**Author's Note: Another day, another chapter...since I don't know what to say at this point I'll let you start reading.**

* * *

**Many years ago….**

The place looked like some kind of "sci-fi" classroom. Only instead of students there were full grown adults and a couple people around my age. I was just 15-years-old at the time, the youngest recruit to get through basic training. I was also the one standing in front of 8 highly trained operatives and, I might add, also standing next to their boss.

"Who's the brat?" a woman with short blonde hair in purple armor rudely asked.

A man with the same colored hair and armor spoke in a calmer tone, "South, behave."

She shouts back, "I'm not some fucking dog ass-!"

"That's enough!" the Director announces.

It was the counselors turn to step up, "Everyone, this is Agent Washington...our newest recruit."

The group looked at each other in disbelief at the fact that someone my age made it past basic.

"Agent Washington," the counselor looks at me and I stand at attention, "Why don't you say hello."

"Sir!" I step forward and salute, "Agent Washington reporting for duty!"

"Kids a bit of a stiff," a man with brown hair chuckles.

"Let us make Agent Washington feel welcome here as much as possible," the counselor grinned.

"That is all for today," the Director announced, "Dismissed."

Most of the agents began to leave the room, but a few of them stayed behind. One of them was the man with brown hair in tan armor. The other was the blonde man in purple. Finally, there was a woman with long red hair and green eyes.

"So you're our newest recruit?" the blonde man asked.

"Yes sir," I respond.

"You can drop the 'sir yes sir' kid," the brown haired man responded

"Yes si-. I mean, sure."

"That's better," the man pointed at himself, "I'm New York, but I prefer just York."

"I'm North Dakota, but you can call me North."

The red haired woman looked at me for few moments, "Carolina."

I silently nod at each of their introductions as a greeting

York then patted me on the back, "Welcome to the team Wash."

* * *

**Present Day…**

I have never been good with...emotional things. I've always been a by the books kind of guy. I was never like York who was the most laid-back out of all of us back in the day. Yet today I had to make up for my behavior towards teams RWBY and JNPR. What if I mess this up? What if they'll hate me even more? What if somehow they'll find out my secret and we'll argue and fight and then somehow make-up and become closer as a team until-!?

Thankfully, Yang broke me out of my thoughts by giving my a reassuring pat on the back. Which hurt very much by the way.

"You ready for this?" she asks.

"Can't I just say I'm sorry and walk away?" I ask back.

"Nope," she says while making a popping sound, "Remember, you said you'll 'try' to open-up more."

"And I will...but I didn't think it had to be the next day."

Yang places a hand on my shoulder, lighter touch this time, "Look, just answer with what you're comfortable to say. I mean, it's not like you're going to reveal your life's story, right?"

She laughs while I let out a dry chuckle, "Yeah, right."

We made our way to the cafeteria where everyone was getting lunch. My targets, I mean teammates, were sitting at their usual table eating. Yang walks towards them first while I follow. Her sister Ruby notices us first.

"Morning Yang, where've you-?" she asks until she finds me standing behind Yang with my arms behind my back, "Oh."

The table seemed to fall silent when they saw me...again. I'm seriously not meant for this kind of thing.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Weiss huffed.

"I told you, they were having one of their 'secret rendezvous'~," Nora sung.

"Wait, what?" I ask, taken off-guard by that statement

The girl was about to explain until Yang covered her mouth, "Nothing! It's nothing."

I wanted to ask what was going on, but decided to ignore it.

"I-I...uh...erm," the group continued to stare at me, "I-I…I'm sorry."

Some of the team's eyes widened, or narrowed, at my apology, "I'm sorry that I acted pretty harsh yesterday. I'm just not very good with socializing and I can sometimes be…extra-careful around people."

"You mean paranoid," Jaune concluded.

"Extra-careful."

"Paranoid."

"_Extra_-careful."

"Paranoid."

"The point is-!" I yell, but immediately took a deep breath to calm down, "The point is, I'll try to be nicer around you guys."

I looked at Yang who gave me a thumbs up, but the others didn't seem that convinced.

Turning to "Plan B", I took out the platter of sweets I had behind my back, "Uuuhhh...I made cookies?"

As if in a nano-second, I felt my gut being tightly squeezed. I looked down and found Yang's sister with her eyes sparkling and little bits of drool coming from her mouth.

"Welcome to the team!" she cheered.

"Hooray for cookies!" Nora followed.

"Well now that's over with, why don't we introduce ourselves," Yang suggested.

"Me first!" Yang's sister said after she swallowed her third cookie, "Hello Washington I'm Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY."

She's a team leader!? No way, she can only reach my chest!

"How…old are you?" I asked slightly curious.

"15," she answers with pride.

"Aren't you a bit young to be attending Beacon?" I asked.

Granted I was the same age when I became a Freelancer, but a team leader? At 15?

Ruby immediately crossed her arms, "Well how old are you mister-smarty-pants?"

"19."

She put on the smug grin that Yang usually has, "Aren't you a bit _old_ to be a first-year?"

"BURN!" Yang teased.

They're most definitely sisters.

I scowled at her remark until a girl in white stepped forward, "I'm-"

"Weiss Schnee," I interrupted her, "Daughter of the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company which has factories all over Remnant. You also used to perform as a singer at live concerts earning you praise and respect for your singing."

The heiress was looking at me wide eyed as I recognized her identity and also her background.

"How did you-?"

"I see your name a lot on the net," I explain.

The truth was that I remembered her from F.I.L.S.S.'s database of potential White Fang targets.

Ruby gasped, "Wow Weiss, I didn't know you were so famous!"

The girl just scoffed at her, "Well of course I'm famous. Honestly, you should have recognized me from my-"

"Your turns over, NEXT!" Yang cut her off earning a frown from the heiress.

The girl with jet black hair and a similarly colored bow was next, "Blake, Blake Belladonna."

She only glanced at me for a few seconds before returning to her book.

Looks like someone has some secrets, which means I have two people to be cautious around.

"And then there's me," Yang pointed at herself, "Yang Xiao Long, team RWBY's heavy hitter."

"Who also cares deeply about her hair and will bash anyone's face in if they even touch it," I quipped.

"And that is the most important thing to remember," Yang grinned.

Nora whispered a few words to the Asian man next her, but I could only make out the words "together-together". That better not mean what I think it does.

"I guess I'm next," Jaune said as he got up, "My names Jaune Arc. I'm the leader of team JNPR."

You have got to be fucking kidding me! I took this guy down in the first round of my initiation, and did he say his last name was Arc!? As in the famous family of warriors. This guy is related to _those_ Arcs. How the hell did he get into Beacon!?

Despite my little, mental...rant; I calmly shook Jaune's hand.

Next up was the Carolina-look-alike, "Hello Mr. Washington, I am Pyrrha Nikos."

She stuck her hand out, but I hesitantly looked at it.

Pyrrha Nikos. A possible cover. Then again, she is a bit young looking, but I should be careful around her.

Apparently I was taking a long time in deciding whether shake her hand or not.

"Is something the matter?" Pyrrha asked concerned.

"Huh. Oh, right," I realized and shook her hand, "Sorry, just thinking about something."

"Me next!," Nora shouted, "I'm Nora Valkyrie and this is my bestest-childhood-friend Ren. Hey, that rhymes!"

The Asian man corrected her, "It's Lie Ren."

"Good to know," I hesitantly replied while giving a crooked smile.

I guess it's my turn to introduce myself, "My name is Washington, but you can call me Wash."

Nora asked the same question from yesterday, "Is that your first name or your last name. _Gasp_ Or maybe that's not your real name."

I slightly clenched my fist, "It's...my last name."

"Then what's your first?"

I couldn't help but avert my gaze, "It's a...sensitive topic to talk about."

"But-!"

Ren put a hand on her shoulder, "Nora, if he doesn't want to talk about it, then we should respect his wishes.

I gave him a thankful smile as he also returned the gesture. At least someone knows some decent manners.

Ruby tried to change the topic, "Professor Ozpin mentioned that you were our support. What does that mean exactly?"

"My job is to act as your backup whenever one of you is incapacitated or be an additional teammate on missions," I answer, "I'm also, well...I guess you could say I'm also your counselor."

"Wait, like a shrink?" Yang whined, "Oh man, this is going to be like anger management classes all over again."

"_You're_ our counselor," Weiss scoffed in disbelief, "What credentials do you have?"

My eyebrow twitched at that remark, stinkin rich people.

"Experience for that matter," I answered, "Pro-...My old school sent me on missions before any of you attended Beacon."

It was partially the truth, there were some combat schools that already sent their students on missions. Beacon does it too, but the school makes sure that the mission isn't too risky for the students. Except I fought against the White Fang, and the Grimm on a few occasions.

"I think he's got you there Weiss," Ruby added causing the girl to roll your eyes.

"So if we're experiencing any problems, you come in to help us?" Jaune asked.

"To the best of my ability, but yeah."

The others seemed fine with my role and allowed me to sit with them. They talked about things most teenagers talk about. What's happening on campus, latest trends, and anything else that I showed little to no interest in. I jumped into the conversation a couple of times, but only to voice my opinion. Eventually the day went by like any other as I finally returned to my room. After doing a quick scan of the area for any danger, I took out my magnum from under my pillow and began to disassemble it. While cleaning the firing mechanism, Epsilon formed on my desk.

"_So, what do you think of your new teammates?_" he asked.

"It's too early to say my opinion," I answered almost robotically.

"_Come on man, you know how agonizing it is to stay quiet all day?_"

"Saying one word in my head will feel like sticking a needle through my brain."

"_You don't know that._"

I glared at the A.I. at his response.

"_Right, sorry,_" Epsilon raised his hands in mock surrender, "_I forgot._"

"And you're supposed to be the memory fragment," I smirked.

"_What's this,_" Epsilon fake gasped, "_Did Agent Washington just smile._"

My face immediately returned to it's usual frown.

"_Man I wish I had my camera,_" the A.I. quipped, "_But seriously, what do you think?_"

I put down the pieces of my magnum and lean back in my chair. I mean, I was just introduced to everyone today. I only knew little bits about my "teammates", well, besides Yang. Her I've spent the most time with since I got here.

I gathered what facts I could from my memories, "As I said before, it's still too early for my opinion. However, Ozpin wasn't lying about these kids being special. Jaune is probably the weakest of group, how he got into Beacon much less become a leader is a complete mystery. Pyrrha seems like a reliable person, but I can't help but feel uneasy around her due to her resemblance to Carolina. Nora is probably the strongest on her team, but her strength is equal to her enthusiasm and hyper activeness. Ren is the most logic-based on his team and only speaks when spoken too.

"_What about team RWBY?_"

After a long sigh, "Ruby shows promise as a huntress. Her weapon expertise and skill in combat are commendable. However, she is still young which makes her naive to the big picture of things. Weiss should work on her attitude or else it will have a negative effect on her team. Blake is probably the quietest of both teams, always keeping her nose in a book. She is obviously trying to hide something. And Yang…"

Epsilon noticed I was taken some time with my answer, "_What about her?_"

"Yang is the most social one of both teams, but lives up to her reputation as a 'heavy hitter'. Her temper, as well as her strength, is unpredictable which makes her a wild-card in combat situations. All of this is substantial and requires further interaction and study."

The A.I. stared at me for a few moments as it processed my answers.

A few seconds passed until he said, "_You have no idea how to socialize, don't you?_"

"That's...not the response I was expecting."

He raised his pointer finger, "_One, what was with that explanation? I asked what you thought of your teammates so far and you responded like you were doing a goddamn journal entry,_" he raised a second finger, "_Two, you talk like a fucking robot. I'm an A.I. fragment and _I _express more emotion than you,_" finally he raised a third, "_And three, your team is mainly composed of girls. Tell me you're not the least bit excited?_"

"Why would you care?"

"_I don't, but...come on…you don't feel anything?_"

"If you are asking if I'm seeking a relationship with one of them then my answer is 'no'," I reply irritated while putting the magnum back together.

"_There you go again, talking like a robot._"

"I'm going to bed," I said, wanting to escape this conversation.

"_Fine,_" Epsilon admitted, "_But you're going to have to deal with this sooner or later._"

I didn't reply as I got ready for bed and covered myself with a sheet. Epsilon eventually logged himself off while I tried to get some sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: I realized after posting this chapter that this doesn't seem to make sense with the storyline and Washington's character changed too quickly. I'm making changes to the next chapter so that it can make sense more. That also means I will be taking down this chapter at a later date. For those of you who may be unhappy with this, I apologize. If you think that this is unnecessary, let me know in a review.**

**GaryOkampo logging off!**


	6. No One Can Do It Alone

**Author's Note: This chapter is different. As I mentioned before, chapter 5 was a bit of a mistake and I'm considering taking it down. If you didn't like the last chapter or you were okay with it, how you feel about this chapter is up to you.**

* * *

**Many Years Ago….**

We were conducting a raid on White Fang base. Carolina and the others were keeping the White fang occupied while York and I were on lock duty, trying to get inside.

"York, how's it going on our entrance?" Carolina asks over the comms.

"Great, I was nearly blown up a minute ago and now I'm paired with the squad's second worst fighter," York said sarcastically, "All things considered, I think everything's peachy."

"Just get it done! Carolina out," she replied clearly annoyed.

"You really think I'm the second worst fighter?" I asked York.

"No I was being nice," he answered, "You're easily the worst."

As if on cue, York was sucker punched on the back of the head and was sent flying.

"You were saying?" I asked jokingly.

I look next to me and found a sleeveless White Fang with a muscular build and bull horns on his head. The two of us look at each other for few good seconds.

All I could say until I received my punch to the face was, "Wuh oh."

* * *

**Present Day….**

It's has already been a week since I joined teams RWBY and JNPR. Despite promising them that I would change, it has been a slow and uneasy process. I could tell that some, mostly Weiss and Blake, didn't fully trust me. I've also been keeping my distance from Pyrrha, her resemblance to my CO back then brings up too many memories. Jaune believed that I secretly hated her, but I told him it was nothing like that. I couldn't really explain it, I just feel...uneasy around her. Despite that, I've learned a few things from my new...teammates. Still not used to that.

Ruby's fascination with weapons and social awkwardness make her an unconventional choice for a leader, but she is learning. However, because she's so young she believes that everything works out like some fairy tale. Her psyche will probably be the most fragile. Weiss, her partner, acts like any other person born in the upper classes. Spoiled, obnoxious, and overconfident. She does show promise with her expertise in Dust, she just has to work on her attitude. For Blake I expected her to be a quiet and a bit anti-social. She actually enjoys spending time with her team and I can sometimes see her smiling. However, my theory of her keeping a secret still stands. Yang is very social and outgoing, always heading into town on the weekends. Her "fun time" seems to coincide with a lot of destroyed bars in the news lately. Somebody, hopefully her partner, needs to teach her some self-control. Nora is...enthusiastic during any activity as well as being the most destructive. She's always in her own little world and it seems the only person that she lets in is her childhood friend Ren. Where Nora is loud and hyperactive, Ren is her exact opposite. Always calm and quiet and most importantly, patient. I don't think there is any other person on the planet who can handle a girl like her. Also, despite my insecurities around Pyrrha, she is probably one of the best fighters in the group. I'm surprised that she wasn't chosen as team JNPR's leader. And then there's Jaune...

Jaune. What can I say about him that doesn't sound offensive?

...He's a terrible fighter.

Ozpin gave me the footage from their initiation to better understand their tactics. Even though Jaune may excel in his analytic skills, he is still lacking in physical _and_ academic qualities. Just today in Goodwitch's class, he lost to Cardin Winchester, the "school bully". The man has been targeting Jaune since day one because of his weak stature. If it were me, I would have shot Cardin in the foot already. Yet Jaune says that there's nothing to worry about. Even right now in the cafeteria, he keeps on telling us that everything's "cool".

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around. You know, practical jokes."

"He's a bully," Ruby corrected him.

"Come on guys, name one time he's 'bullied' me," Jaune denies again putting emphasis and air quotes on "bullied".

It was my turn, "He slaps your books out of your hands when you pass each other, he activated your shield when you entered a room causing you to get stuck in the doorway, and on Monday he pushed you into a rocket propelled locker and launched it while you were still inside."

"I didn't land far from the school."

"You landed in the thickest part of the Emerald Forest."

"How would you know that?" Jaune asked, doubting my answer.

"Because I was the one who had to go in there and get you," I groan, "Remember, I had to kill a herd of Boarbatusk that you were running away from."

* * *

**Flashback….**

_Jaune and Washington were hiding behind some trees as they watched a herd of Boarbatusk try to sniff them out._

"_What are we going to do?" Jaune asked in a panic._

_The Ex-Freelancer took out two spike grenades, "We're gonna use these to take out most of the group and use the explosion as cover to escape."_

_Washington handed Jaune one of the spike grenades as they both prepared to throw them._

"_On three. 1…2…3!"_

_The Ex-Freelancer's grenade impaled itself on to the skull of one of the Grimm. Jaune's, however, landed on the tree directly in front of him._

"_That. Was the worst throw ever. Of all time," Wash said amazed as well as annoyed._

_The young knight sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Uhhh…someone put a tree in my way?"_

_Washington quickly dragged Jaune away from the blast radius as both grenades went off. They sprinted towards the safety of the academy with Washington shaking his head in disbelief that this guy was _somehow _able to make it into Beacon._

* * *

**Present Day…..**

"You were lucky my grenade killed all of them before _we_ were blown to bits too," I stated bluntly with a hint of annoyance.

I felt a nudge on my arm and saw it was from Yang who was giving a look that was basically saying "you're-not-helping".

After a quick glare from Pyrrha, she tried to reassure her partner, "Jaune you know if you ever need help you can just ask."

Nora quickly got up with an evil grin forming on her face, "Oh I know! We'll break his legs!"

Jaune lifts up his tray, "Guys, really it's fine. Besides, it's not like he's a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone."

We then heard a scream across from us and saw Cardin and his team harassing a Faunus girl. The girl asked them to stop, but Cardin laughed as he kept on pulling her ear. He eventually let go and the girl ran off crying while massaging the very same appendage.

"Atrocious," Pyrrha said gritting her teeth, "I can't stand people like him."

"He's not the only one," Blake mumbled.

Yang followed, "It must be hard being a Faunus."

I just sat there silently…..reminiscing. During my time with Project Freelancer I met a lot of Faunus, both White Fang and civilian. I didn't become a cold-hearted racist like the other agents or like Cardin, but sometimes, it became hard to tell the difference between the two.

As the evening neared I was in my room doing homework assignments at my desk which I moved away from the window and next to my bed, giving me quick access to my Magnum.

Epsilon formed next to me, "_Don't you think we should do something about Cardin?_"

"Jaune is here to be a huntsman. He has to handle this on his own," I reply.

"_You're still mad about the grenade-thing, aren't you?_" the A.I. jokingly asks.

I remain silent as I continue writing an essay on how to quickly kill different types of Grimm.

Epsilon pointed out, "_You know, Ozpin said it was your job to help these guys._"

"I give them guidance," I clarified, "Not solve their problems."

"_Is there a difference?,_" he said irritated, "_Besides, this guy reminds me too much of South._"

"How would you know?" I ask, "You never met her."

"_I'm in your head dude, I know that she was a total bitch to you back then._"

"And I endured."

"You-."

We were then interrupted when we heard voices on the roof above us.

One voice said, "Jaune I know you're having a difficult time in class, and that you're still not the strongest of fighters so….I wanna help you."

"Pyrrha?" I thought.

Jaune replied, "What?"

Pyrrha explained, "We can train here after class where no one can bother us."

"You...think I need help?" Jaune asked, his voice depressed.

Pyrrha tried to explain that she wasn't doing out of pity and tried to reassure him. He made it into Beacon so that means he has some skill. Though from my perspective, he had little to none. Eventually the conversation got heated and Jaune let it slip that he wasn't really accepted. He revealed that he used fake transcripts and lied his way into Beacon. I was shocked to find this out and apparently so was Pyrrha. He then started shouting and said that he wanted to handle this alone. She eventually understood and reluctantly walked off. As soon as she left we heard Cardin's voice as he approached Jaune. He was blackmailing him into doing whatever he wanted or risk his secret coming out. With nowhere to go, Jaune had to agree to his terms. The two eventually left the roof and we were left speechless.

Epsilon soon broke the silence, "_Well that's great. First we find out Jaune's a liar and stubborn. Now Cardin's got a leash on him. To make things worse, we have that douche as our neighbor,_" he then looks to me, "_So...what do we do?_"

I look at him and return to my work, "We do nothing."

"What?" Epsilon said shocked.

"_Jaune made his choice. Now he has to deal with the consequences,_" I explain stoically.

"_You can't be serious?_"

"I am," I answer still doing my homework.

"_But-!_"

"Log off," I commanded and it did.

* * *

The next few days, Jaune kept his distance like he promised only this time he stayed with Team CRDL. Ruby and the others tried to get him to explain but pushed us all away. Everyone was wondering what was wrong with their friend, only Pyrrha and I knew the reason why.

I was in Professor Port's class and I could see Jaune was in the front row frantically taking notes for five people.

"_I can't take this anymore we have to talk,_" Epsilon said in my head.

Can we talk later, maybe somewhere NOT in public.

"_NO!_" he shouts, "_It has to be now Wash!_"

I cringed at the A.I.'s outburst. Talking to a digital figure in person was easy, but when it's in your head shouting, it feels like there's a jackhammer trying to rearrange your skull. I raise my hand asking the professor to excuse myself. As I walk through the empty hallways, Epsilon formed in front of me.

"What is it?" I ask annoyed.

"_We have to help Jaune,_" he said.

"He made his choice. He just has to endure and get stronger, that's all."

"_Pardon me for saying this, but that's BULLSHIT!_" he shouts.

I immediately stop and shush him, "Quiet down do you want the whole school to hear you."

He calms down, "_Look, remember the time when South picked on you every time you guys failed a mission?_"

How could I not. Every time we failed South would somehow shift the blame on me saying I was either too slow or I was a terrible soldier. The Director did nothing and I faced her verbal abuse at HQ and her physical abuse on the training floor. I wanted to handle it on my own so I trained to become stronger so that she would stop.

"Like I said before I endured it alone and got stronger."

"_Now that's where you were wrong Wash._"

My eyes slightly widen, "What do you mean?"

"_You may have thought you got stronger all on your own, but that wasn't the case. You had your teammates, your friends, backing you up. Don't you remember that time?_"

That's when it hit me, when I was getting pummeled by South on the training floor after a botched mission. I remember that each of her punches was like getting struck with a baseball-bat. I tried to hold back my tears and tolerate the pain. Even after the buzzer went off she still kept on hitting me. That's when Carolina, York, and North stepped in. Carolina kicked South so hard I swore she flew across the room. York used his healing unit to help me with my wounds. North did his usual routine, trying to keep his sister in check.

"Yeah I remember," was all I could say.

Epsilon continued, "_After that Carolina tried to help you improve, York kept your spirits up, even North tried to help by keeping his sister off your back. You tried pushing them away to show that you could handle yourself, but deep down you needed help and they were happy to do so. Because those three cared for you, not out of pity, but because you were their teammate. What Jaune is doing now is just like you were, keeping out his friends and this time they're keeping their distance _and _what you're doing now is just standing on the sidelines waiting for someone to scream for help when they can't even speak. Ozpin said it was your job to help these guys through the tough times because we know how to deal with them._"

We stare intensely at each other and he finally asks, "_So….are you still keeping your distance?_"

I snicker a little, "You know you give pretty good speeches."

"_Meh. I have a good memory,_" he sgrugs.

It was lunch time and everyone, except Jaune, was sitting at our usual table. He was busy gathering CRDL's lunches like a good errand boy. After passing them out he sat next to Cardin and begun to curl himself inward at their snickers. I took that as my cue to get up and walked to their table.

"Jaune, we have to talk," I announced.

He looks at me nervously and stutters, "I-I uh-."

"If you want to talk to Jauney-boy then you can say it in front of us," Cardin interrupted motioning his arm towards his team.

"Sorry, but this is between fellow huntsman and I'm pretty sure you don't qualify," I quipped.

Cardin shot up, "Why you-!"

I quickly grab his arm, twist it behind his back, grab his head, and smash it into his mashed potatoes. Cardin's teammates jumped out of their seats, trying to save their leader who was struggling for air.

"Come any closer and he suffocates," I threatened, "If you do, I'll make sure you get worse than him," I then look towards Jaune, "And _you_ are coming with me."

The others get the message and sit back down as I release Cardin who gasped for air while his face was covered in white starch. I dragged Jaune by his arm while the others looked at us, wondering what was going on. We eventually made it to a deserted hallway and Jaune struggled out of my grasp.

"Look I already told Pyrrha! I don't need any help!" he yells.

"You do Jaune and I know exactly what you're going through," I reply calmly.

He looks at me angrily, "How would you know!? You beat Nora, Ruby, and Yang. You're not weak like I am!"

I shout back, "I do know! I know because-!" I stop and let out a breath, "Because I know how it feels to be the weakest in a group of amazing people."

Jaune looks at me still not convinced.

"At my old school, I was weakest of my team and slowed everyone down. Whenever we failed an assignment one of them let out their frustrations on me."

His eyes began to widen

"Like you I kept everyone out and endured the pain hoping to overcome it alone so I could prove I was tough like them. But in the end my friends kept pestering me to let them train me. I told them no at first, but eventually took their advice. Their training and support helped me gain the skills I have today. If I was stubborn like you are now, then I wouldn't be here," I put my hand on his shoulder, "Having your friends coming to your side doesn't mean you're weak. It just means they're willing to help you, but if you shut them out you're going to be alone. Here, and on the battlefield."

Jaune looks at me for a while, but then pushes my arm away and walks off. I stood there silently, hoping that he got the message.


	7. Forever Fall,Then Rise

**Author's note: Logging On**

**GaryOkampo here and I bring another chapter to the "F to H" story.**

* * *

**Many years ago…**

There is this famous saying: a craftsman never blames his tools. Can a soldier blame his rifle for missing his target? I wanted too. Frustration is inevitable when you've been at a firing range since six in the morning shooting at paper targets. For hours my shots have only punctured the outer areas of the human shaped target. Most people would be happy that they at least hit something, but a Freelancer must always make accurate shots.

"Here, try this."

I looked towards the voice and found Carolina with a battle rifle.

"I can handle it myself," I grunted.

"Clearly," she smirked.

"Don't you have some holographic targets to punch?"

"You may be a kid Wash," Carolina snickered, "But that doesn't give you the excuse to act like one."

"Like I said, I can handle it," I answer again while aiming downrange, "Besides, you don't need any help on missions."

"True," she smirked, "But that is only because I'm well...me. You're not."

"And?" I reply still unconvinced.

"Look, just stop being so thick-headed and take the damn rifle," she jokingly commands.

I look at her for a few good seconds and then at the rifle. Eventually I took it in my hands and aimed downrange. With a little twitch of the finger I was able to hit around the center.

"I did it. I actually did it!" I cheered.

"Great job Wash," she said sarcastically, "Now you just have to repeat that thirty times with one clip."

"Yeah...wait, what?"

* * *

**Present Day…**

It was the day after my talk with Jaune and we were on a field trip to the Forever Falls, a forest where the leaves and ground were crimson red. To most people it was a beautiful tourist spot. For me it was the perfect area to commit an ambush because the terrain provided too many areas to hide. Potential attacks aside, we weren't here to sight see. Ms. Goodwitch was assigned to watch over us for Ms. Peach's Botany class. We were told that each of us had to gather a jarful of sap from the trees as well as to be vigilant of any Grimm in the area. Jaune was still team CRDL's lapdog as he carried the gear they needed to extract the sap. We all went our separate ways except Pyrrha, who looked at Jaune with both disappointment and worry before she turned away.

* * *

**Jaune POV**

How did I get here? All I wanted was to live up to my family's legacy and look where it got me. I'm being blackmailed into slavery and my fellow teammates are nowhere to be seen. No, that part was my fault. They all tried to help me; Pyrrha, Ruby, even Wash and all I did was turn them away. Now, I'm gathering tree sap for a bunch of jerks.

After finally completing my task I carried the sap towards CRDL, eventually collapsing onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Great work Jauney-Boy. That wasn't too hard was it?" Cardin said while he and his team relaxed against some trees.

All I could say with my nose clogged was, "I think I'm allergic to this stuff."

He obviously ignored me, "Great, great, great. Now Jauney-Boy I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin have me collect seven jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'"

"That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today."

"Well, come with me and you'll find out," he said with a sadistic grin.

"Oh no."

We end up at a ridge overlooking a group of students. As we got closer I saw it was my friends. They were all gathering tree sap like they were supposed to, but didn't notice us.

"Cardin, what's going on?" I asked worried.

He grimly said, "Payback."

I looked at my friends, particularly Pyrrha.

Cardin explained, "That's them, the redhead-know-it-all and the dork-who-thinks-he's-tough," he reached behind him and produced the box of rapier wasps I gathered for him last night, "All right boys, last night old Jaune here managed to round an entire box full of rapier wasps and now we're gonna put em to work."

I did NOT like where this was going.

"Now according to one of the essays you wrote for me a while back, these nasty things _love_ sweets. I think it's time we teach the two of _them_ what it means to mess with us."

We all get up and he hands me two jars, "And you're gonna do it."

"Do what?" I hesitantly ask.

"Hit them with the sap," he says pointing at them, "Either that and I'll report to Goodwitch and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon."

I look at the two jars in my hands and hesitantly get ready to launch them. I looked at Pyrrha and Wash as the two didn't realize I was going to throw it at them. As I stood there I kept asking myself. Why? I already knew the answer: to stay in Beacon, become a hero like my ancestors, live up to my family name. Now look where it's gotten me. I'm about to stab those who tried to help me in the back. Wash, he explained how sometimes you can't do things alone. Ruby, she showed me I can't be selfish anymore because I'm a leader now. Pyrrha...all she did was try to help me, like any partner would, and I flat out turned her down due to my pride and so called "honor". Was I really going to do this to the only friends I had?

I grit my teeth and said, "No."

As I lowered the jar Cardin asked, "What did you say?"

I tightened my grip and shouted, "I said, NO!"

I threw it at him, but he dodged it and it shattered on a nearby tree. They all looked at me with anger and anticipation in their eyes, obviously ready for a beat-down.

Cardin laughed, "You've really done it now."

My shoulders were grabbed and I prepared to say goodbye to my life.

* * *

**Washington POV**

We were gathering our tree sap, but as Pyrrha gathered hers I could tell she was thinking about a certain blonde knight. She hid it under fake smiles, but I could clearly see someone who was worried for her partner.

"You worried about Jaune?" I ask.

She frowned and responded coldly, "Our fearless leader knows exactly what he's doing."

"You can't blame him. He just feels….inadequate."

"What do you mean 'inadequate'!?" Pyrrha asks in disbelief, "We're his teammates, we accept him for who he is."

"Not how he see's it," I explain, "When a guy like Jaune is not only in the presence of amazing people, but was also chosen to lead them. He starts to question whether he's up to the task. I've seen it before."

"What-?"

She was then interrupted by a loud roar.

* * *

**Jaune POV**

I could hear the insults as team CRDL continuously beat me to a pulp, but I didn't care. If I was going to kiss my future and my life goodbye at least I knew I didn't betray my team, my friends. Plus I get to deny Cardin the satisfaction of seeing me cower in fear of him. He was about to deliver another punch and I grit my teeth. As he struck me we were enveloped in some white light. Cardin grabbed his hand in pain as I looked at my own and saw them…glowing? Was this my Aura? I couldn't really think about it when we suddenly heard a loud noise and that's when we saw it. An Ursa Major. As it approached us everyone started backing away. I suddenly felt a sticky substance being poured on my head and saw it was the tree sap from the jar. Cardin kicked me towards the Grimm while they ran off.

All he said as he laughed was, "Thanks for keeping it busy Jauney-Boy."

I get up while the Ursa got on it's hind legs and sniffs the air. It notices me and the smell of the sap. Apparently putting two and two together, it releases a roar that would tear your eardrums apart. If this was karma at work, then this is some serious overkill.

* * *

**Washington POV**

We were all wondering where the sound came from until we saw team CRDL running for their lives. That's when I quickly grabbed Cardin by his chest-plate.

"What's happening!?" I asked him.

"Ursa man, we gotta get outta here!" Russel said in a panic.

Pyrrha looked over the group, "Wait! Where's Jaune?"

"Who cares," Cardin scoffs, "Lets just focus on running."

She quickly grabs him from me and throws him towards a tree as she quickly aims her spear at his throat.

"Where. Is he?" she threatened, her eyes filled with rage.

He grunts, "Why should I?"

Cardin signals his buddies to come help him, but before they could move they were met with everyone's weapon aimed at them. Yang made sure her gauntlets were pointed at their…important areas, Blake gave a rarely seen smile as she aimed her pistol at Dove's head, Ren aimed his pistols at Russel and Sky while Nora just took out her hammer and started laughing psychotically.

"_Now_ can we break their legs!?" Nora asked with terrifying glee.

"I think that's a good reason why," I said while pointing my gun at Cardin's head.

Cold sweat formed on his face and he finally told us where they left Jaune. Ruby instructed the others to get Professor Goodwitch while she, Pyrrha, Weiss, and I went to help Jaune. As we ran through the forest we were all hoping that he was alright.

When we arrived at the scene, what we saw made our jaws drop. Jaune was fighting off an Ursa Major on his own. Despite the number of times he was knocked down he continued to fight. Weiss was about to intervene, but Pyrrha stopped her, wanting to see how this would turn out. Jaune slashed and stabbed the Grimm but his attacks didn't seem to bother it. After being swatted away by the beast, Jaune got into an attack stance and the two charged towards one another. Time seemed to slow down as their attacks drew closer. It was at that moment when I saw Pyrrha's hand turn black as she pointed it towards Jaune. His shield was enveloped with a black outline as it moved towards the Ursa's slashing arm. It's attack skidded against the metallic surface giving Jaune the chance to plant his foot and give an upward slash, decapitating the Grimm. Was that the power of a semblance? In any case, Pyrrha may have helped but this was Jaune's victory. He seemed to be proud of his work as well as he victoriously sheathed his sword. We eventually got to him and noticed he smelled like tree sap.

"Jaune, that was awesome!" Ruby cheered.

"You were completely uncoordinated," Weiss huffed, "But at least you won in the end."

"T-Thanks guys," Jaune rasped before collapsing.

The girls were about to catch him, but I got to him first. For a guy who just took down an Ursa Major, he was surprisingly light.

We eventually laid him near a tree where I placed my healing unit next to him.

"What's that?" Ruby asked.

"It's healing unit," I answered, "It'll help accelerate the healing process of Jaune's wounds."

Weiss scoffed, "Can't you just let his Aura handle it rather than rely on that piece of junk?"

"This 'piece of junk' has saved my life and more lives than you can count," I harshly replied.

"How-!?"

"Enough!" Pyrrha shouted, "He's waking up."

Just as Pyrrha said, Jaune's wounds were already healed. Hmph, I'd like to see if Aura can do that?

He groggily opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.

"I think I must have died," Jaune smirked, "Otherwise why would I be surrounded by three beautiful angels."

Weiss rolled her eyes at his latest flirting attempt while Ruby let out a small giggle, happy that her friend was his old-self. Pyrrha was smiling, but I could tell she was trying to suppress the small blush on her face.

Oh, please.

"You're very much alive Jaune. But if you want a one-way trip to heaven," I cocked my magnum, "I can arrange that."

He quickly shot-up, "I'm okay."

Weiss then crossed her arms as she glared at the blonde night, "Care to explain why team CRDL left you to die and why have you have been avoiding us for the past few days?"

Pyrrha stepped forward, "Weiss!"

Jaune quickly got in between them, "It's okay, I have to explain."

It was there that he told everything, from Cardin's blackmailing to what he planned to do to them along with admitting how he faked his way into Beacon. Ruby and Weiss were shocked by the news, Pyrrha and I already knew so we didn't react much.

"I'm going to tell Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch the truth and pack my things," Jaune concluded.

Ruby protested, "Jaune, you can't!"

"I've made my decision."

It looks like Jaune is serious about this.

With reluctance, despite Ruby and Pyrrha's protests, Jaune stood by his decision and we regrouped with the others. We met up with the rest of class, however Cardin was able to get to Professor Goodwitch and revealed Jaune's secret. Everyone quickly came to his defense, except Weiss, she just stood in the background. Despite his friends support, Jaune said that he was ready for his punishment. Surprisingly Professor Goodwitch said that there was no need, because she and Professor Ozpin already knew about his transcripts. They were planning to expel him until they saw his leadership skills during the initiation and Ozpin decided to give him a chance. Team CRDL's smug grins turned to ones of shock and then into fear as Professor Goodwitch glared at them, displeased with how they left Jaune to die as well as blackmailing him.

"However, I cannot punish them unless someone is willing to testify that these allegations are true," she explained in a professional manner.

I quickly step up, "I can."

Everyone then looked at me.

"Jaune and Pyrrha were talking on the roof which I heard from my room below. After she left, Cardin appeared and did as the others explained which I also heard as well," I explained in a military manor….old habit.

Professor Goodwitch accepted my testimony and gave team CRDL two weeks suspension and another week's worth of detention. The others cheered in victory while the bullies groaned and we all headed back to Beacon.

* * *

**Third-Person POV**

Cardin sulked behind the group of students, but little did they know, he was scheming. He wanted revenge towards Jaune, Pyrrha, JNPR, RWBY, and most importantly that Wash guy. Had so many ideas in his head, Cardin was inwardly smiling knowing that he and his team were going to make sure they were going to make their lives hell. The hunter-in-training was going to tell his teammates, but his lips wouldn't move. He tried again and nothing happened. Before the bully tried to call for help he was dragged into a nearby bush. He could feel some unknown force tightening against his throat, but he saw nothing in front him. His back was slammed against a tree as he let out a suppressed grunt.

"Cardin Winchester, member of the once honorable Winchester bloodline," a menacing voice announced, "Your family knew the importance of honor, but it seems you don't even know the definition of the word."

Cardin felt the hand around his neck tighten as the figure began to form in front him. He couldn't tell what gender the stranger was because the person wore all black armor with a golden-yellow visor. The bully could see his reflection and saw the fear in his eyes as he tried to fight for air.

The stranger leaned into Cardin's face to the point where his nose was almost touching the visor, "You better start cleaning up your act."

The hunter was about to grunt, "Or else what?"

But, he couldn't get the words as he quickly felt his...private areas being crushed.

"Or else I'll come back and do a little 'gender-reassignment'," the stranger sadistically smirked under it's helmet, "We clear."

Cardin rapidly nodded his head, unable to handle the pain in his throat, and to his boys.

"Good," and the stranger dropped him.

The bully scrambled to his feet to rejoin the group, knowing much worse awaited him if he didn't change for the better.

When Cardin was out of sight, the stranger was about to walk off, but not until _she_ took a quick glance at the crowd of students. Her eyes fell onto a certain Ex-Freelancer as he conversed with a girl with long blonde hair.

The stranger's voice returned to it's usual tone and inwardly smiled, "Looks like I found you first."

With that, Agent Texas walked deep into the forest and re-cloaked.

* * *

**Washington POV**

That night Jaune apologized to Pyrrha and asked if she could train him. The two made up and I, of course, heard the whole thing.

"_I think we did a pretty good job,_" Epsilon said as he formed on my desk.

"We?" I jokingly asks.

"_Yeah, you told Jaune to get over his ego while I motivated you to get off your lazy ass._"

I guess he was right. I wasn't just their counselor, I was their teammate. Friend? I'm not so sure about that. It's still too early to tell if they're trustworthy and I doubt I'll let them know of my past. But still, it felt...nice to do something actually good for once. Sure it wasn't saving a village, but it was something. Still, this doesn't make-up for the things I've done and there is no doubt that Project Freelancer is still looking for me. I just hope it won't be happen anytime soon.

* * *

**Author's note: And the plot thickens! Agent Texas is alive and it seems she has been looking for Washington. How much longer can Wash keep his secret? And how many more Freelancers are out there? Find out soon in the next chapter of...**

**FREELANCER TO HUNTER!**

**Delta: Thank you for reading; and do not forget to favorite, follow, and/or review.**

**DELTA!? Get out of here man, you're not supposed to be here yet!**

**Delta: My apologies Mr. Okampo**

**It's GaryOkampo!**

**Epsilon: How come I don't get to talk during the daytime!? I'm like the star of this story! I demand a bigger role!**

**Both of you get out of my computer!**

**Epsilon: Make me!**

**Delta: Please, let us try to find a logical and peaceful way to end this.**

**That's enough you two.**

_***SIGH***_

**This is GaryOkampo, logging off.**

**Epsilon: WAIT! I've got some good scenes that show how much of a badass I am!**

**No.**

**Epsilon: Come on!**

**NO!**

**Epsilon: You son of a-!**

**[CONNECTION TERMINATED]**


	8. We're Both Strays

**Author's Note: [CONNECTION ESTABLISHED]**

**GaryOkampo logging on...**

**Sorry about not meeting my weekly quota. I'm starting to run low on the creative juices. **

**That and I just attended Anime Expo 2014.**

** Hopefully that will change when RWBY volume 2 premieres this month. So don't panic if I haven't updated for a few weeks, that either means I'm working on new chapters or I'm really REALLY busy.  
**

**Besides, I am so PUMPED for Volume 2! Watch the trailer and be prepared for the awesomeness!**

**Delta: "Awesomeness" is not an actual word.**

**It is to me, and what did I say about being in my computer!**

**Epsilon: You better make me look like a bad ass.**

**GET. OUT!**

* * *

**Many Years Ago…..**

Failing a mission would make any person blame themselves. My partner, Agent Connecticut, was no exception. I walked through the hallways of the _Mother of Invention_ and eventually found her sulking on a bench in the locker room. She's been acting different recently, questioning orders, doubting the Project, and even showing distrust towards the Director. Connie has also been pretty harsh towards us, not even choosing to interact with the other Freelancers.

"You okay?" I asked calmly.

"No Wash I'm not!" she shouted, "I mean we just burned down an entire village."

"There were White Fang members spotted in the area," I explained.

"So we had to destroy people's homes!?"

I put my hand on her shoulder, "Connie you know the White Fang has had growing support over the years. The whole village would have denied it all. Maybe even helped them."

"That still doesn't excuse what we did."

"The Director gave us an order-"

She shook off my hand, "The Director!? What kind of director has his men attack innocent people? Don't you see? We're not soldiers, we're nothing but a bunch of thugs."

Connie then motioned to the holographic leader-boards in the briefing room, "And now with these-these rankings, it's become one big competitive tournament. They are drawing a line between us, Wash," she lowers her head in disappointment, "And it's getting pretty obvious which side I'm on."

"Come on Connie, the Director has done so much for us."

"Really!?" she shouts back, "Wake the fuck up Wash! This is a selection process. I don't know for what, but if you're not at the top of the list then you are nothing to him."

I try my best to calm her down, "You're just overreacting, you've always been hard on yourself."

Connie couldn't take it anymore and just walked off, "You put too much trust in others Wash," she turned her head with her back still towards me, "Also, don't call me Connie. It makes me sound like a damn kid," she then exits the locker room, "Call me CT."

* * *

**Present Day…..**

Rapid tapping awoke me from my well deserved rest from the week. After the incident at the Forever Fall, I had to type-up a report to Professor Ozpin. The week after has been non-stop homework assignments. I had to do essays for Oobleck, reports on the strongest of Grimm for Port, and finally, I had to memorize _all_ types of Dust and Aura control in Goodwitch's class. I don't even use Dust, much less use Aura!

No one needs to know the last one.

The knocking on my door continued to give me a headache, so I quickly put on my sunglasses and ball cap and charged towards the noise. After ripping the door open, I was met by a surprised team RWBY looking at me and my steel gray shirt-and-sweats.

"What do you want?" I grumbled.

"Well good morning to you too," Weiss sarcastically greeted.

I glared at her under my sunglasses when I noticed Yang looking at me strangely.

"What?"

"Do you ever take off your hat and glasses?" she asks.

"Do you ever cut your hair?" I sarcastically ask back.

"What's on my head and what's on your face are two different things."

"Do you really wanna start a debate about this?"

"Woah buddy, let's not get _a head_ of ourselves," she quipped.

Yang's teammates, including her sister, groaned at another one of her puns.

"For Dust's sake Yang," Weiss groaned, "Are you going to ask him or not?"

"Ask me what?"

"We were wondering if you wanted to go check out the Vytal Festival with us?" Ruby asked.

"_Yes,_" Epsilon mentally answered.

No.

"_Come on man, we haven't explored the town since that one time we got your gear,_" the A.I. whined.

I said no!

"You debating you're options there Wash?" Yang jokingly asks.

"As a matter of fact, yes," I answered, "Why not ask Jaune's team to go with you?"

"They said they can't make it," Ruby answered back.

Great, so much for dumping this on JNPR. If we go into town, then there is a chance I'll be spotted.

"_By who? The Freelancers? Come on Wash, the Project may have some connections but it's not like they've got agents across the globe._"

Which is why we can't risk anyone recognizing us. Mainly me.

"_Wash, you've been working non-stop since day one,_" Epsilon calmly stated, "_Everyone needs a break once in a while._"

...You just want to take a look around town, don't you?

"_Hey, I've been obediently keeping quiet as Church mouse since we got here. I deserve some fucking compensation._"

Which is more important? Fun or safety?

"_...If you don't say 'yes' then I will sing at the top of my lungs in your head._"

...You wouldn't.

I received my answer when Epsilon began to sing out-of-tune, on purpose.

_They're out to break us down, to run our lives, to rule our minds_

_Our days of destiny our gone~_

_But your dreams have turned to fear_

_And it's pretty goddamn clear_

_That you know-!_

I gripped my head from the A.I.'s terrible singing as I could feel the notes pounding against my brain.

Ruby tilted her head, "Wow, I never knew someone can get a headache from a mental debate before."

Weiss scoffed, "I get one whenever I'm with you."

"Hey!"

"You okay there Wash?" Yang asked ignoring the the pairs usual banter.

"I'm fine," I weakly answered, "I'll come along."

"_Booyaah Motherfucker!_" Epsilon cheered.

Shut up.

"You sure? If you're not up for it we-."

"I said I'll go!" I shouted.

The girls jumped back at my answer with both shock and fear. Real smooth there Wash.

"Sorry," I apologized while rubbing the sleep away from my eyes, "It's been a long week. Just, let me get ready and I'll meet you at the airdock."

"O-Okay, we'll meet you there," Ruby shyly replied and they walked off.

As soon as they were gone, I closed the door and headed towards the bathroom to get ready.

Epsilon formed near the bathroom sink as I stepped into a well deserved hot-shower.

"_That wasn't so bad was it?_" he cheerfully asks.

I glared at the A.I. through the shower curtain. I swear I could almost feel one of my veins pop.

"Dear god I hate you."

* * *

When going into a nearby town or city, you carry the biggest risk of being spotted or recognized. In my case, it is important to avoid this as much as possible. Even though Beacon students are permitted to carry their weapons around town, coming in fully armored would only bring more attention to yourself. That's why I was wearing my usual outfit; minus the armor, knee pads, and rifle. I still carried my magnum in my holster. What? I may not want to draw attention, but it's best to be prepared for any situation.

I eventually arrived at the airdock where team RWBY was waiting. It was odd that JNPR wasn't with them, the two teams seemed inseparable. Always having conversation with each other while I gladly sat on the sidelines.

Wait.

Doesn't this mean I'm going to be the only guy with a group of girls. Oh god, York would be on the ground laughing his ass off if he was here right now.

...York, one of nicest you'll ever meet. How many years has it been since-?

"Hey Wash, you coming!?" Yang shouted on the gangway.

Hmph. For once, I was glad that she was such a loud mouth.

I silently boarded the airship and waited for us to land in the city of Vale. The ride was uneventful, I spent the majority of that time scanning the passengers for potential threats. So far no one suspicious, minus a couple of guys giving me dirty looks. Team RWBY was having their own conversation, but something about Weiss seemed off. She seemed more...energetic than usual. I haven't spent much time with her so I brushed it off as we were about to touchdown.

The second the ship landed I immediately scanned the area for any dangers(again). The only people here at the moment was Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, myself, and couple of other Beacon students who came into town. The rest of the passengers were civilians, a few with baggy clothes for possibly concealed weapons. There were security cameras at the airdock along with guards which lead me to raise my hoodie and lower the bill on my ball cap. We eventually got closer to the Vytal Festival grounds where the shops were preparing for the celebration. Which means there are more dangers to look out for.

Security cameras in the local bakery and weapons shops.

"Wash."

An elderly man putting up a banner which gives him an elevated position.

"Wash?"

A group of suspicious figures discussing something in a nearby alley way.

"Waaash!?"

A man in a bowler hat and a-.

"WASH!"

"Huh!"

"You okay?" Yang asked.

"Me, y-yeah I'm fine," I replied.

She immediately raised an eyebrow at my response, "You sure? You've been acting edgy since we arrived. Well, more edgy than usual."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Yang quickly answered to change the topic, "Hey, you noticed something odd about Weiss?"

I looked at the target in question and saw what she meant. The heiress was actually smiling. She wasn't berating everything with her usual snobbish attitude, she was commenting on how "wonderful" the festival was. Weird.

"I've never seen you smile so much Weiss. It's kinda weirdin' me out," Ruby said slightly nervous.

Weiss replied joyfully, "How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world. There will be dances, parades, a tournament. Oh, the amount of planning and organization going into such an event is simply breathtaking."

Yang sighed, "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."

I agreed with her, "Who enjoys the planning of an event instead of enjoying the _actual_ event?"

"Quiet you!" Weiss growled.

We eventually arrived at the docks, to Yang and Ruby's dismay. Weiss explained that some students from Vacule were arriving and she wanted to greet them as a representative of Beacon. Blake revealed that she was actually doing it to spy on the competition which Weiss obviously denied. Speaking of transfer students, isn't Gulch is going to be one of the countries participating in the tournament too? I know we may not have as much hunters, but they are hunters none the less. It would be best to avoid them as much as possible.

Ruby then spotted a store with yellow police tape surrounding the building. We walked towards it realizing that the glass in all the windows were shattered and the inside looked as if a bull ran amok.

I asked the closest officer, "What happened here?"

"Robbery," he answered nonchalantly, "Second dust shop this week, this place is turning into a jungle."

Two other officers were chatting in front of the crime scene.

"They left all the money," said one officer with a Boston accent

"Yeah it just doesn't make any sense. Who needs that much dust?" the other asked.

"I don't know you know what I mean?"

"You think it's the White Fang?"

"Yeah, I don't think we get paid enough," the one with the accent answered.

I've fought against the White Fang before and they've always needed dust. However, they would usually go after large reserves like carrier ships and trains, not small shops.

"Hmph," Weiss grunted, "The White Fang, what an awful bunch of degenerates."

"What's your problem?" Blake asked annoyed.

"My problem? I just don't care for the criminally insane."

"The White Fang are hardly a bunch of psychopaths, they're a collection of misguided Faunus."

It was no surprise that there has been debate over the White Fang's actions. Back then they were peaceful protesters, but then turned into a fully armed terrorist cell. Some say that it was in their nature while others argued they had no other options. Either way, many people died in the crossfire.

Ruby suggested it could have been Roman Torchwick, the infamous criminal, but Weiss still wasn't convinced on her view of the Faunus. They continued to argue and that's when I decided to separate from the group.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"This is getting a little heated, I'm gonna sit this one out," I answer.

It was no surprise that team RWBY has gotten into their fair share of arguments. Let's face it, I can hear their voices from my room. Plus, the topic of the White Fang brings up too many bad memories.

I wander through town checking out the many stores until I came upon a pet shop. The store was displaying a litter of baby kittens near the glass window. Most of the little fur-balls were playing with the toys while some were simply sleeping. One seemed to notice I was staring leading it to lightly claw against the glass. It was a cute attempt of trying get someone's attention, so I did what it wanted. I placed a finger on the area of the glass where the feline was scratching and it seemed to have an effect on it. The little guy began clawing against the glass in front of my finger. It didn't seem savage or some feral instinct, it was just...cute. It appeared as if it had found something new and exciting to do rather than sleep around all day.

"_I see you still like cats,_" Epsilon mentally smirked.

I quickly pull back my hand from the glass.

"_And is that a smile I see?_"

I am not smiling.

"_Come on man,_" he said teasingly, "_I know you used to have kitty posters in your locker back then._"

This conversations over.

"_Geez man what's with you? I thought we had a connection during Jaune's incident?_"

You mean when you shouted in my head during class? And let's not forget your little performance this morning. Did you want me to go insane again?

"_You're still mad about that? Jesus dude you have got to learn to let go. I mean you…you...you._"

"Epsilon?" I silently ask.

"..._I feel it. I don't know why, but I can somehow….sense it._"

"What?"

"_I think….I think it's another me,_" he explained, "_Another A.I._"

Here? That can't be! They couldn't have found us so soon.

I looked at my surroundings, trying to locate who had found us. That's when I saw him, a shadowy figure down an alleyway. He(I assume it's a guy) realized I spotted him and quickly sprints down the alley. I was about to pursue him until a girl with short orange hair and green eyes steps in front of me.

"Salutations," she said cheerfully, "Can you kindly direct me to the docks? I appear to be lost."

I try to get a glimpse of the figure, but the girl kept blocking my view. Frustrated, I shoved her out of my way and ran down the alley. There were dumpsters and piles of trash leaning against the walls. I could hear footprints all around me yet I couldn't decide where was the source.

As I walked deeper into the dark alley, everything became silent. There was nothing, no bickering pedestrians, no scurrying of rodents, not even a pin dropping. It was just...quiet. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours. Each passing moment filled my body with more anxiety than I ever felt before. It was if time itself had slowed down. Suddenly, a trashcan falls to the ground, releasing the stench of human waste it was meant to have kept sealed. I quickly aimed my magnum at the noise, but found only a pair of rats who quickly scurried away at the sight of my gun. I scan the entire area, ready for anything to come at me. But there was no one.

"Do you still sense it?" I ask.

Epsilon forms on my shoulder, "_No, he's long gone._"

I sigh in defeat and leave...slightly relieved.

Little did I know, a cloaked figure was watching me from the shadows.

* * *

We gave up on the search and regrouped with team RWBY at the airdock. One didn't need to be a highly trained operative to notice the tension between Weiss and Blake.

"What happened?" I whispered to Yang.

"Blake got fed up with Weiss calling the monkey-boy some bad names," she answered.

"Monkey-boy?"

"After you left we saw a stow away who was a monkey Faunus escape the cops. Weiss tried to figure out who he was, but called him 'rapscallion' and some other fancy insults."

"She has acted like this before, they'll probably get over it."

"I don't know," Yang pondered, "Blake looked a bit offended on the topic. Like Weiss was insulting _her_."

"I think it's best we should let them work this out."

Oh, how wrong I was. As we literally took a step on campus, the girls returned to their argument. The princess and bookworm's "debate" continued in their dorm room about the White Fang and the Faunus in general. One thing led to another and Weiss eventually revealed that her family has been at war with the White Fang ever since she was a kid. She lost family, friends, and her grandfather's company suffered greatly. Add a terrible father and it would make sense why she is not a big fan of the subject. She simply stood at the window, glaring into the night sky, blaming her messed up childhood on the Faunus. Ruby tried to comfort her, but Weiss angrily shrugged it off.

Her glare was then directed towards Blake, "You wanna know why I despise the White Fang. It's because they were a bunch liars, thieves, and murderers!"

It was there that Blake finally snapped, "Well maybe we were just tired from being pushed around!"

Weiss backed away as we were all shocked at what she said. Blake stutters as she tries to explain her little outburst, but quickly left the room in a flash of black.

"Blake wait!" Ruby yelled, "Come back!"

Weiss was still angry and after Blake was gone she said, "I should have known that she was one of those filthy animals."

It was Ruby's turn to get mad, "Is that all you can say!?"

She charges towards her, but I hold her back.

"Look you three, it's been a long day. Lets just drop the subject and get some rest."

"What about Blake?" Yang asked, worried about her partner.

I let out a sigh, "She needs to be alone right now."

The girls looked at each other, after a few moments of mental debate, they mutually agreed. They got ready without saying anything to each other and I simply left. After I got in my room, Epsilon appeared again.

"_Don't you think we should find Blake?_" he asks.

"Let's not focus on that now," I answered, "The A.I. you 'sensed' today, do you know which one?"

Epsilon just stood there shifting his head around with worry. The only time he acted like this was when….

"I-It can't be," I stutter, "You don't think it's…"

"_I don't want to believe it either Wash,_" he said grimly, "_But it's him._"

Today was a long day, but the next few days...were going to be pure hell.

* * *

**Author's Note: Once again the plot thickens! Kudos to anyone who knows whats is coming and even more kudos to anyone who knows which song Epsilon was singing.**

**Delta: My calculations show that about 99.7% of the fans already know that the answer is-.**

**What did I say? _*Gives threatening glare*_**

**Delta: I understand GaryOkampo, however I must warn you of the others.**

**Others?**

**A swarm of A.I. fragments: Put us in the story too!**

**...Oh, fuck.**

**GaryOkampo logging off...**

**[CONNECTION TERMINATED]**


	9. A Teammate or A Traitor?

**Author's note:[CONNECTION ESTABLISHED]**

**GaryOkampo logging on...**

**Okay, this...was a long chapter to type-up. I mean REALLY long. Not to mention I've had some distractions over the past few days.**

**Delta: We were simply providing our opinion**

**Which is giving me a major headache by the way. Not to mention there are some people out there who want an update on my other fanfic. To answer your question, I'm working on it. Humor isn't exactly my strong point, so I work on it when I'm "in the mood".**

**Now... let's get this show on the road.**

* * *

**Many years ago…..**

We were in the hangar preparing for the mission, the kind of mission I wasn't happy to be a part of. I was with South in the Pelican drop-ship, silently preparing my rifle.

"You okay?" Carolina asks calmly and with concern.

"I'm fine," I sighed, "It's just...why would she do it?"

She took a seat next to me, "She made a choice Wash. She chose to join the White Fang."

"Yeah and now that bitch-traitor is gonna get what she deserves!" South shouted while loading her assault rifle.

Carolina glared at her, clearly telling her to get lost, which she quickly understood and left.

I still couldn't believe it, "It's just that...I knew she was acting odd but…."

"Wash," Carolina put her hand on my shoulder, "You can't blame yourself for not stopping CT. Right now you have to focus on the mission, nothing else matters."

I couldn't really say anything at that point.

"We dust-off in ten, make sure you have all your gear."

With that, Carolina exited the Pelican and I was eventually the only one left. I intensely stared at my battle rifle as I weighed my options. Was Carolina right? Would we just abandon Connie like that? We fought alongside one another, traitor or not she's still my partner.

….But she made her choice.

She betrayed not only the project, but also her own home. Joining the White Fang was practically giving them access to Gulch and we would have no way to defend ourselves. If Connie really was a traitor then she should be brought in for questioning and a trial.

"Right, nothing else matters."

* * *

**Present Day…..**

The morning had finally arrived, but I wasn't able to get a second of sleep. If what Epsilon said was true, then trouble was just around the corner for me. Blake and team RWBY's troubles were the least of my concerns at the moment. I had to prepare.

My morning routine went by quickly and I put on my usual outfit. I was about to put on my body armor when I suddenly heard a noise.

_Knock knock_

I quickly grabbed my magnum from under my pillow and aimed it at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Wash, it's me," Yang answered.

I slowly approached the door and slightly opened it. Looking through the crack, I found it really was her. I eventually undid the three locks I installed a few days ago and opened it.

Her eyes eventually fell onto my pistol, "Expecting trouble?"

She tried to laugh, but it came out more like a dry chuckle. I could tell that something was on her mind.

"Did Blake come back?" I asked.

Her face eventually fell and she slowly shook her head.

Bulls-eye.

I motioned for her to come inside and she obliged. Yang said nothing as she came in; no jokes about how plain my room was, no terrible puns, she just slumped on my bed. The girl was obviously troubled about her partner's outburst and no doubt it was affecting her team. I made my way to my desk and took out the rag and tools I needed to clean my pistol.

"Whatcha doin?" she asked.

"Field-stripping," I cut her off before she makes another one of her dirty jokes, "And no, there's no removing of any clothing involved."

"Hey," she calmly replies, "By all means, start stripping."

I sighed, "I take it you're not here to crack some witty remarks."

Yang's face fell again and decided to lay on my bed. At least I took out the magnum from my pillow. Lord knows it would take a lot of lying to explain that precaution.

She covered her eyes with her arm while she crossed her slender, but strong, legs. Her long golden-blonde hair cascaded among my sheets. Air escaped her lips at a slow and steady pace, as if she had waited all night for her partner to return. Every breath she took made her chest….

"Wash?"

"H-huh, wah!" I stuttered.

"What do you think of the White Fang?" Yang asked.

I quickly steadied my heart rate from my...description of Yang.

"They are a terrorist group that threaten the lives of innocent people," I answer instinctively.

She turns her head towards me, "And the Faunus?"

I could see it in her eyes, she was anxious to hear my answer, but at the same time worried. When fighting against the White Fang for four years, it's pretty difficult to NOT become hateful towards the Faunus as well. Actually, Carolina made sure that I didn't become like that, always telling me to not succumb to that hatred.

"They're living beings too," I answer, "The choices they make are on them."

Yang wasn't fully satisfied, but slightly relieved, with my answer and returned to her staring contest with the ceiling.

"It's just...Ruby wants to go out and find Blake, but Weiss doesn't seem to even care."

"And you?"

"I...don't know," She closes her eyes for a moment, but then re-opens them, "Have you faced something like this before? On your old team I mean."

My hands immediately froze. The images of Connie's betrayal and the mission that followed replayed in my mind. If I was still a Freelancer, I would follow whatever decision Carolina made. And she chose to bring her in.

"Something like that."

Yang then quickly sits up, "What'd you do?"

"The decision fell on my team leader," I put down the pistol pieces, "I didn't really have a say on the matter."

I _really_ want to drop this subject.

"Say if you did, what would you do?"

As a man who has faced betrayal a countless number of times, I'd say I would react pretty harshly. Freelancer protocol dictates that we bring in the target for questioning or…"take care of it".

"...Look, Blake is your partner right?" I ask back.

She nods her head.

I leaned back in my chair, "And you and your team have been fighting alongside one another since the year started right?"

Once again she nods.

"And in that time, did you ever doubt or despise her?"

She shook her head.

This time I lean towards her, "What do _you_ think?"

Yang sat silently on my bed, taking in what I had just told her. I patiently waited for her answer as I took a sip from the coffee I brewed this morning.

"I-I," she finally answered, "I'm worried about her and I want to find her."

"Then that's what you'll do," I take another sip from my coffee mug.

Yang tried to suppress a giggle.

"What?" I ask confused.

"Ya know," she quipped, "For a second there, you kinda looked like Professor Ozpin."

It was my turn to suppress the blush on my face. I'm nothing like that old man. Right?

"I see you have your spirit back," I grumbled.

"Yeah," she smiled, "I'm going to go with Ruby into town to look for Blake. We'll drag Weiss along too."

Yang then exited my room, but not before she made a quick glance back.

"And Wash."

"Hmm?"

She gave me a thankful smile, "...Thanks."

I silently nodded and she left. As soon as she was gone, Epsilon then formed on my desk.

"What is it?"

"_...Ya know you really do look like Ozpin,_" the fragment smirked.

It was there that I couldn't hold back the blush on my cheeks.

"Shut up."

* * *

**The Next Day...**

Team RWBY's search for Blake yesterday turned up empty. Against my objections, they made me come along with them this time into town. That's when I decided to come to town fully armed this time. Like I said before, Beacon students can carry their weapons into town, as longs as they don't cause any trouble. There's some paperwork involved, but it would take too much time to explain.

Ruby and Yang were worried about their teammate while Weiss wanted to report her disappearance, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to either. As we walked down the streets, the team was losing faith.

"Where is she?" Ruby asks depressed, "She's been gone all weekend."

"Probably socializing with her murderous cohorts," Weiss said with her nose in the air.

This girl is seriously starting to piss me off. It's like she doesn't seem to even care.

"She's one of our teammates Weiss," Yang said trying to defend her missing teammate and partner, "The least we could do is hear her side of the story."

"For all we know she could have left town," the spoiled rich girl replied.

Yang and Ruby continued calling out for Blake like she was a lost cat. That's when I noticed Weiss trying to stealthily leave the group. I quickly grab her arm and pull her far enough so the others wouldn't hear us.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"The police station," she huffed as she struggled out of my grip.

"Why?"

"I'm gonna tell them that Blake is a member of the White Fang."

"You shouldn't do that," I warned, "The police aren't that reliable in this situation."

"Why not?" Weiss crossed her arms, "She is obviously a dangerous criminal on the loose."

"I have my reservations about this too, but Yang is giving her partner the benefit of the doubt and as her teammate you should too."

She escapes my grip, "Why should I? How do we know if she's on our side?"

"So that's it? You're just going to turn your back on your teammate because of a secret."

"And what? You wouldn't?" she asks glaring at me.

I let out a long sigh, "No, I already did."

Weiss raises her eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

I begin to explain, "On my old team, my partner was….supportive of the Faunus."

"He supported the White Fang."

"She, actually and no. It wasn't the White Fang, but the Faunus in general. To my teammates it was the same thing and they called her traitor. Even I turned my back on her, my own partner. If I talked to her about it, heard her reasons why, maybe things would have turned out differently."

"What...happened to her?"

A moment of silence fills air as Weiss anticipates my answer

"...Look, let's just go find Blake."

We rejoined the others as they continued searching for their teammate. I told them that I'll look around one half of town while they searched the other. When they were out of sight Epsilon and I had a mental conversation.

"_Never thought you would share that part of your life,_" he said, "_Sure it wasn't the whole truth, but still._"

I just got tired of her spoiled attitude which I'm sure would make things worse.

"_So how are you going to handle Blake?_"

That will depend on whether she's still a member of the White Fang.

"_And if she's not?_"

Then let's just hope those four can patch things up.

"_Wash, I'm afraid to ask. But, what are you gonna do if she is?_"

Then I'll handle her myself.

I took out my magnum and checked the clip.

"_Wait! Wash, you can't do this!_" Epsilon shouted.

I quickly re-loaded my sidearm.

"Calm down," I said, "There's just a few things I need to find out."

* * *

I had Epsilon hack into the local security cameras and he eventually found Blake at a cafe nearby. She was on a terrace with a monkey-faunus who I assumed was the one Yang talked about a few days ago. Could he be a member of the White Fang too?

I stealthily made my way through the restaurant and towards the terrace. Lucky me to have found a table that was not only in both their blind spots, but also allowed me to listen in on their conversation.

"Sun, do you know about the White Fang?" Blake asked.

"Course I do! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard about them," Sun answered.

So the guy's name is Sun, based on his answer he doesn't seem to be a member.

They continued their conversation and Blake eventually revealed that she was part of the White Fang since she was little, back when it was a peaceful organization. She believed what she was doing was right until their tactics took a dark turn. Blake saw the results of her and the White Fangs actions and, ironically, they were beginning to be treated like equals. However, she didn't like how people did it out of fear rather than respect. That's when she decided to leave and become a huntress….her redemption.

Blake's situation was surprisingly similar to mine. We were part of organizations that we thought were making a difference for the right reasons. Only to realize what we were doing, was all a lie. After they finished their conversation I quickly left and followed them.

* * *

**Blake POV**

"So what's the plan?" Sun asked as we walked down the street.

"I still don't think that the White Fang are behind these robberies," I replied, "They've never needed this much dust before."

Sun's eyes widen in realization, "What if they did?"

"What?"

"I mean the only way to prove they didn't do it...is to go to the place they would most likely go if they were to do it...and not find them there. Right?"

That, oddly made sense.

"The only thing is I have no idea where that would be."

"Wait," Sun realized, "When I was on the ship, I heard a group of guys talking about unloading a shipment from Atlas."

"How huge?"

"Huuuuuugge," he emphasized, "Big Schnee company freighter."

"You sure?"

"Would I ever lie to you?"

"You steal food on a daily basis," I frowned.

"At least I'm an honest thief," he quipped.

I rolled my eyes at his remark until my ears heard the slide of a pistol.

I turn around and found Wash...his weapon aimed towards us.

"Hold it right there!" he shouted.

"Who's this guy?" Sun asked getting into a stance.

I quickly get in between them, "Sun, wait!"

I looked towards, hopefully still, my teammate, "Wash, I can explain."

"I don't want to hear it," he threatens, "I'm going to ask you a question. How you answer that question determines whether I pull this trigger or not."

Wash's voice was calm and collected, but at the same time frightening. His hands weren't shaking as he aimed his pistol right at me. I could only see a small glimpse of his eyes, but that was enough to make me afraid. Those eyes, they've killed before. He can kill me where I stand and would probably feel nothing. Whatever I said next, would determine whether I live or die.

"Y-yes?" I stuttered.

"...Do you regret what you've done?"

I looked back on my time with the White Fang. A movement I once believed in, becoming a force of evil, my friends turning into heartless murderers, and every moment made me sick to my stomach. Then there was choosing to leave the organization. I chose to turn my back on my friends, and the situation I'm in now...is exactly the same.

"Yes," I answered, "Everyday."

After a few moments of intense silence, Wash finally lowered his weapon.

"Good answer," he holsters the pistol

"I heard about your little operation," Wash points at Sun, "Thought you might need some extra help besides your boyfriend here."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I could see that Sun was the same.

"Woah woah woah woah! Wait a minute there buddy," Sun protested, "I just met this girl two days ago."

He walks right past us without a care, "I'll let you two work that out, but if you don't mind. We've got a stakeout to wait through."

Wash continued to walk towards the docks, oblivious to the shocked look on our faces.

"This guy is your friend?" Sun asked.

"I...guess so?"

"Now I'm actually afraid to meet your team."

* * *

"_He is here._"

"_We have found our brother._"

"_Let's get him!_"

"_We must be cautious._"

"_We must be merciless!_"

"_Patience brothers and sisters...it is time for the hunt._"

* * *

**Washington POV**

We eventually made it to the docks by nightfall and set ourselves up on the roof of one of warehouses. I was laying prone on the ground, scanning the area through the scope of my battle rifle. Blake was on her stomach right beside me while Sun ran off to do some kind of errand.

"Where are they?" Blake scoffed.

"Patience is important during a stakeout," I reply.

"I know. I'm just...anxious."

About a lot of things, I'm sure.

A few moments of silence passed between us.

"Your team is worried about you," I said.

She sighed, "I doubt it."

"It's true, Ruby and Yang were worried and spent the last two days looking for you."

Blake looked at me with an incredulous look, "And Weiss?"

"She...came along," I hesitantly answered.

The girl stared into the docks, still not fully convinced. It was understandable.

"Blake, you know Weiss can be a bit stubborn. But, she'll learn."

The girl let out a long sigh before saying something, "I just...don't know what to say to them."

"I may be your counselor Blake, but even I don't have all the answers."

We eventually returned to our silence until Sun returned with some apples.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Negative," I answered, "They've already unloaded the crates, but there has been no activity since."

"Cool," he replied and handed Blake an apple, "I stole you some food."

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" she asks.

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something!?"

She gave him one of her usual "looks". You probably shouldn't have said that Sun.

"Okay too soon."

I quickly subdued my laughter under my balaclava from the "couple's" banter. But...everybody needs something to entertain themselves during a stakeout.

"Are you sure you two aren't a couple?" I ask.

"NO!" they answer in unison.

This is fun.

….Oh god, I think I'm turning into Yang.

As if on cue a couple of drop ships, or VTOLs, flew over us. The ships scanned the docks with their spotlights, thankfully they didn't decide to check the rooftops. After they had landed, masked men began to exit the aircraft. They wore typical White Fang uniforms: black hoods, white vests, and on their backs was a feral red wolf head with three scratch marks behind it.

Blake released a glum, "Oh no."

"Is that them?" Sun asked.

"It's them alright," I answered calmly.

Blake's face turned from shock to anguish as she realized it really was the White Fang behind the robberies. It must've hurt, to see those she once called her friends resort to such low-life tactics. All in order to obtain their so called "equality". The look on her face was clearly seen by Sun.

"You really thought they weren't behind it, didn't you?" he asked.

"No, I guess deep down I knew," the girl grieved, "I just didn't want to be right."

"HEY!"

We turned our heads towards the commanding voice from the VTOL and saw a man in a black bowler hat with a cane exit the ship. The man ordered the White Fang to get back to work by using derogatory words such as "animals" and "mutts".

"Who the heck is that?" Sun asked again.

"Roman Torchwick," I answered again, "He's a pretty well known criminal throughout Vale. His MO is usually the heist of dust varying from small to massive shipments pulling heists on both dust shops to even a dust plane."

Blake and Sun looked at my covered face with awe and shock in reaction to my detailed description.

"I see his face a lot on the news," I lied.

The truth was that Project Freelancer actually had a database on possible criminals who would supply, or support, the White Fang.

Blake was the first to get out of her daze and looked at the infamous criminal, "This isn't right, the White Fang would never work with a human," she gets up and pulls out her sword, "especially not with one like that."

She then jumped off the roof and ran towards the group of well armed thieves.

Sun tried to stop her, "Hey wait!"

But it was too late, Blake was already making her way towards Roman, sticking to the shadows as she got closer to the leader.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Sun quipped.

I sighed, "What else can go wrong?"

"_Then it looks like I'm the bearer of bad news,_" Epsilon mentally announced, "_Cause Wash, he's coming._"

Where!?

"_I'm getting something from the shipping crates._"

I immediately got up and loaded live-rounds into my battle rifle.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sun demanded.

My answer was silence as I quickly slid down a pole on the side of the wall and sprinted towards the crates. I slowly walked through the corridors of metal and wooden boxes, checking the shadows and corners. A part of me wished I had a motion tracker right now, all I could currently rely on was me and Epsilon's senses. Literally.

I stopped in front of a pile of wooden shipping crates, "Can you sense him anywhere?"

"_I can't really tell which direction, but I know this...he's coming in fast._"

"Fast? What's that-? Wait."

"_What?_"

"Don't you hear it? That noise?"

"_What noise?_" Epsilon questioned, "_Wait, yeah. What is that?_"

There was this feeling in my gut, the same feeling I get when a certain metal monster comes rolling around.

"Is that a-?"

Suddenly, the pile of wooden crates shattered and splintered as I saw a familiar four-wheeled, weapon-mounted adversary.

"CCAAAAAARRRRRRRR!?"

* * *

**Blake POV**

My blade was against the throat of Roman Torchwick. Everything about this scenario didn't make sense. The White Fang working with a human? Much less a criminal and a racist? I wanted answers, and I was determined to get them.

"Tell me what's going on," I threatened, "Or I'll put an end to your little operation."

I started to feel the wind pick-up around me and that's when I saw two VTOLs circling us.

"I wouldn't exactly call my operation: 'little'," Roman smirked.

White Fang troops jumped out and aimed their guns and swords towards us. The odds were clearly not in my favor so I let him go.

"Looks like this isn't your lucky day kitty," Roman laughed, "All right you mutts, load up the cargo."

He pointed at three White Fang members armed with assault rifles.

"You three, kill her."

The three men looked at each other, but followed the order regardless. I simply stood there, waiting for the end to come.

"What are you waiting for!?" Roman demanded, "Just shoot the-!"

"CCAAAAAARRRRRRRR!?"

That voice...Wash?

And just like that, a vehicle came crashing out of the pile of crates driving erratically. The car was mounted with a turret and Wash was...on the hood? He was frantically shooting into the driver's side until the vehicle made a sharp turn, launching Wash into a pile of crates in the process. I wanted to go check on him, but it seemed the driver had found a new target...me. I quickly rolled out of the way as the driver began to randomly pick targets to run over.

"Don't just stand there!" Roman shouted, "Shoot the car!"

The White Fang soldiers quickly obeyed and opened-fire on the vehicle. Bullets repeatedly penetrated and/or scraped it's armor until it eventually crashed into a nearby propane tank. The car was leaking gasoline and Roman saw it as the perfect opportunity to finish it off. He aimed his cane and fired a red flare at the flammable liquid. The area surrounding it was enveloped in a massive fireball and eventually caused an explosion so large you could probably see it from Beacon.

Roman had a smug grin on his face, enjoying his handiwork. The celebration was short lived as someone was exiting the wall of fire.

* * *

**Que: RVB OST-Mental Meta Metal**

* * *

The stranger was wearing a large brown cloak, but with each step, the piece of cloth burned away as if he was a man rising from hell. The cloak eventually turned to ash, revealing a seven-foot-tall man with a large build. He wore white armor with brown trims and on his head was a dome like helmet with a golden visor. Hisses and growls were the only things that escaped it's mouth as it looked over each and every one of us. The sight itself was more terrifying than any other Grimm I've seen.

Roman was the first to regain his sense.

"Well?" he said irritated towards the three White Fang who supposed to kill me.

The three men nodded their heads in confirmation, but before they could draw their weapons, the center man's head exploded into a puff of red mist. The two men beside him jumped back in shock at the carnage. I looked towards the stranger and saw that he already had his pistol drawn. One of the attackers was aiming his assault rifle, but he didn't get the chance to pull the trigger as the giant already ran up to him at blinding speeds. He picked up the man with only one hand and tightly squeezed until I heard the small _crack_ from his neck being snapped. The third man…he didn't even last a second. The armored stranger quickly pulled out some kind of, bladed-grenade-launcher, and slashed at his stomach. The White Fang soldier's guts cascaded from his body like a crimson waterfall until he eventually fell into his own entrails.

I could only cover my mouth to keep myself from screaming at the sight before me. This-This one man, had killed three Faunus more savage than any other Grimm I've seen. I was no stranger to violence during my time with the White Fang, but this...this was...it was too horrifying to describe.

And now...he had set his sights set on me.

* * *

**End: RVB OST- Mental Meta Metal**

* * *

**Washington POV**

Every part of my body was sore from being launched from the hood of the warthog. Why is it that cars give me so much trouble?

My hate against four-wheeled vehicles aside, there was no doubt that Maine was the driver,even if he was wearing a cloak. No, I guess he would be called the Meta now. I could only get a few shots through the windshield at that time and I blacked out for a few moments when I collided with another pile of crates.

"_Wash!_" Epsilon shouted, "_Get up!_"

"Uuggh," I groaned, "Status."

"_You want status!?_" the A.I. fragment whined, "_The Meta is here and we're fucked!_"

Calm down. Where is he now?

"_He's fighting the Roman, the White Fang, Blake, and Sun at the same time right now._"

I get up from the pile of wood and dusted myself.

"They have no idea who they're dealing with," I said.

"_Well unless you got a nuke in one of your pockets there Wash,_" Epsilon sarcastically stated, "_We're going to need some bigger guns._"

Suddenly, a gatling-gun was dropped right next to me.

"What the hell!?" I jumped.

I looked up to see who delivered the massive weapon, but they were already gone.

"Did you sense which A.I. fragment it was?" I asked.

"_No,_" Epsilon answered, "_I didn't sense anything._"

A part of me wanted pursue the culprit, but the most logical action was to help Blake and Sun.

I just hope I'm not too late.

* * *

**Third-Person POV**

The docks had become and three-way deathmatch. Sun was busy fighting the White Fang who were attacking him for no reason while the Meta was killing everything in sight. The Meta fired his brute-shot at another squad of White Fang soldiers, completely annihilating them. One jumped onto his back from behind, only to be thrown to the ground and impaled by Maine's blade. Eventually his eyes fell on Blake. The cat-faunus quickly used her shadow-clones to dodge the the incoming grenades and sprinted towards the crates for cover. Maine let out an agitated hiss as he reloaded his weapon and prepared to fire at Blake's last known position. His concentration was interrupted when a pair of sneakers landed on his visor. The Meta didn't even flinch from the surprise attack, but he was annoyed when someone gets in his way.

"Sup gigantor," Sun quipped as he twirled his staff into an attack stance, "Ever heard of the phrase 'pick on someone your own size'."

Maine let out a predatory hiss and charged towards the monkey-faunus. The Meta fired a burst of grenades only to have them dissipate by Sun's staff when he quickly twirled it in front of him like a shield. Sun then deflected Maine's brute-shot downward as he tried to jam his staff into Maine's stomach. The Meta quickly swung the bladed side of his weapon upward hoping to at least cut the accursed stick in half. Maine believed he succeeded when he saw Sun's weapon split in two, but was quickly proven wrong when they mecha-shifted into their nunchaku/shotgun form. The Ex-Freelancer quickly curled himself inward, placing his forearms and brute-shot in front of himself. Sun began twirling the nunchaku/shotguns at blinding speed, firing and reloading shotgun shells. The moment lasted for few good seconds with each of his attacks making their mark.

"Ha!" Sun laughed, "How'd ya like that?"

He received his answer when Maine simply stood at full height and cracked his shoulder joints and neck in a threatening manner.

"Guess not," the monkey-faunus realized.

The Meta prepared to impale Sun on his blade, but only made contact with solid concrete. He looked up and saw that his prey was pulled away by a black ribbon.

Blake had attached her Gambol Shroud to a nearby crane, after she had pulled Sun to safety, and swung towards the Meta. She firmly kicked him square in chest, separating Maine from his primary weapon. He skidded to a stop and released an annoyed hiss when he quickly drew his magnum. The cat-faunus quickly used her shadow clones to dodge the incoming pistol rounds.

_Click click_

Blake took the sound of the empty magazine as her cue to counter-attack and equipped herself with her katana and bladed-sheath as she charged towards the Meta. The cat-faunus swung her katana towards Maine's helmet only to have him quickly duck. She then swung horizontally with her sheath, but once again, he dodged by stepping back. Blake quickly picked up her speed and repeatedly swung her sword and sheath at her opponent, but the Meta continued to dodge every single one of them.

"_How is this possible?_" Blake wondered, trying to maintain her composure, "_It's like he knows what move I'm going to do next._"

The exchange between them continued, until Blake began to show signs of fatigue. She knew she couldn't last any longer, so she came up with a plan.

"_He'll eventually try to counterattack and when he does, I'll leave a shadow clone at my last position. That will give me the chance to jump over, land behind him, and slash at his back. The wound won't be fatal, but it will distract him long enough for me and Sun to find Wash and escape._"

In Blake's mind, time then resumed as Maine was about to throw a punch towards her. Enacting her plan, she activated her semblance and jumped over the giant. The cat-faunus believed that she was about to succeed until she felt something grab her. She looked down and saw that Maine had intercepted her ankle while she was in the air.

"_How did-!?_"

Blake couldn't really finish her thought as she felt herself being thrown to ground at break neck speed, knocking the wind out of her. She released a couple of coughs until she felt herself being lifted by her shirt.

Sun saw what happened and charged towards the giant screaming, "Let her go!"

The Meta then threw Blake towards the raging monkey-faunus causing the two to collide with each other. The two Faunus skidded a couple of yards until they collided with a nearby shipping crate.

Maine pulled his brute-shot from the concrete and re-loaded it with a fresh clip of grenades. Blake and Sun tried to get up, but were too exhausted from their fight with the giant. The Meta stopped in front of the couple and prepared to finish them off with an onslaught of explosives.

"Hi," a voice calmly announced.

Everyone turned their heads towards the voice and were met by the sight of Washington...carrying a gatling-gun.

"Remember me," he muttered, so the others wouldn't hear him.

The gray Ex-Freelancer tightly pulled the trigger of the massive weapon and watched the storm of bullets making contact with the Meta's armor. The giant began to back away, trying to shield himself from the incoming gunfire. Maine eventually backed himself to a spot that was under a crane with shipping crate.

"Epsilon, hack the crane controls!" he commanded.

The A.I. fragment did as he commanded and the crane was dropped right on top of Maine.

"Holy fuck!" Sun cheered, "I can't believe that worked!"

The moment was then ruined when they saw the Meta prepare to throw the two ton shipping crate.

"Ah fuck that didn't work!"

Maine then threw the massive metal crate towards Wash. The gray Ex-Freelancer quickly discarded the gatling-gun and rolled out of the way. As the dust began to settle, Wash tried to regain his bearings, only to be met by the barrel of the brute-shot. Maine was about to finish him off...until another voice interrupted him.

"HEY!"

The Meta released an annoyed grunt at the increasing number of times he has been interrupted tonight. Wash looked towards the newcomer and saw a familiar red cloak and scythe, standing on top of a warehouse.

"Ruby!" Wash shouted, "Get out of here!"

"WHAT!?" the red huntress asked back, unclear with what he was saying.

"Ruby?" another girl with orange hair and green eyes approaches behind her, "Are these people your friends?"

Maine took the scythe wielder's distraction as the perfect opportunity to strike and fired a round towards Ruby. The girl then flew back a few yards from the explosion before she was caught by Penny. She began to walk off, but Ruby didn't want her to go.

"Penny!" the red huntress yelled, "Wait!"

"Don't worry Ruby," the girl replied, "I'm combat ready."

With that, swords began to deploy out of Penny's back until they surrounded her like a pair of metal wings. She then sprinted towards the edge of the rooftop and launched herself to the battle below. Two of her swords flew towards Maine, causing him to back away. The so-called "android" landed with a _thud_ on the concrete floor next Wash.

"Who...are you?" Wash asked amazed.

"Hello there," she greeted, "My names Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Wash looked at the girl, confused at how care-free she was until he saw Maine charging towards them.

"Look out!" Wash shouted.

Penny saw the incoming attack and quickly did an aerial back-flip with her swords moving an uppercut-like motion. The Meta stumbled back from the surprise counterattack allowing the "android" to reform her swords into a spinning wheel of blades. She threw the sword formation towards the giant, sending him into the wall of a warehouse. As well as knocking down any White Fang along the way.

"Woah," Sun said dumbfounded.

Wash eventually picked himself off the ground and made his way towards the two Faunus.

"You guys okay?" he asked.

"Peachy," Blake deadpanned.

The Ex-Freelancer then took out his healing unit and deployed it, enveloping the three of them in a soothing-green light.

"Who the heck is that guy?" Sun asked as he cracked his shoulder.

"I don't know," Wash lied, "Can any of you move?"

"Not yet," Blake grunted.

Maine trudged out of the wall and noticed the girl with the blades pull herself back to the warehouse she jumped from as her swords began to change form. The tips of each blade pulled back and a glowing green light took their place. A group of them formed into a circle in front of her as the energy began to build-up. Realizing what was going to happen next, the Meta deployed his dome shield just as Penny had fired a massive bright-green laser. The attack lasted for a few short seconds as everyone waited in anticipation as the dust began to clear.

To everyone's horror, Maine was still there, standing tall as if nothing had happened.

"Oh come on," Sun whined, "What's it going to take to kill this guy?"

The Meta glanced at the two Faunus, the gray Ex-Freelancer, and aimed his brute-shot. Blake and Sun didn't have any energy left to fight the monster, so Wash quickly stood in front of them and aimed his battle rifle. The two Ex-Freelancers stared at each other for what felt like hours until a familiar sound of red and blue lights appeared. Maine glanced back at the group and pointed with his right pointer finger towards Wash. He then pointed his thumb at his own throat and brought it cross from left to right...ran off.

Wash glared daggers at the back of the Meta's helmet and eventually lowered his rifle with an exhausted sigh.

* * *

**Que: RWBY OST-Wings Slow Mix**

* * *

**Washington POV**

The police had eventually arrived on the scene and immediately began arresting any White Fang in the area. We each gave our statements, telling them that we were a group students checking out the docks until we saw the raid on the port. Oddly enough, they bought our little lie and let us go freely. There must be something wrong with the law enforcement in this city.

Ruby, Blake, Penny, and Sun were talking to each other who were sitting on some crates while I leaned against a nearby ambulance. There was a bit of distance between us so I couldn't really hear what they were talking about.

"_What are they talking about?_" Epsilon asked in my head.

Blake is probably explaining her heritage and past. It seems Ruby is fine with it, then again she is just a kid. I don't know how Weiss is going to react.

"_Speaking of the ice queen,_" the fragment pointed out, "_There she is right now._"

Just like Epsilon said, Weiss and Yang had arrived at the docks. Ruby was the first to get up and try to defend the Blake, but Weiss simply brushed her off. Blake eventually stood up and the two of them stared at each other for a few good moments until they started talking. I admit, I was curious to know what was going on, but I simply waited.

I eventually got my answer when I heard Ruby cheer, "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

The group eventually huddled up, but Penny was no where to be seen. Wait...when did she leave?

"_Looks like the four of them made-up,_" Epsilon stated.

Yeah...good for them.

"_...Hey Wash?_" the fragment asked, "_How long until _our_ secret comes out?_"

What brought this on?

"_It's just...if the others can accept Blake for who she is. Don't you think we should give it a chance?_"

I let out a long sigh.

I want to Epsilon, believe me, I really do. But despite the similarities between me and Blake, I can't risk Project Freelancer finding me. We both know how far the Director will go to get what he wants. Tonight was a perfect example. Blake and Ruby were almost killed by Maine. Can you imagine what would happen if the other Freelancers showed up? Even if they're great fighters, they're not ready to face something like this.

"_You're afraid of what might happen. To them,_" Epsilon glanced at team RWBY.

...Yeah.

"_...Huh,_" he sardonically chuckled, "_I guess you do have a heart._"

I shook my head from his last statement decided to go back Beacon. I then felt someone pull my jacket, I looked back and found Ruby with the others.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"You guys obviously got some catching up to do," I answered, "I'll meet you at the airdock."

"Wash, wait," she pleaded and I stopped.

"You know, I should thank you," Ruby started, "If you didn't talk some sense into them...I don't know what might've happened to the team."

I slightly blushed under my balaclava, "It's nothing. Just doing-."

My sentence was interrupted when I felt her arms wrap around my waist.

"Thank you," she said.

"Aaaawww," Yang cooed, "Group-hug."

She eventually joined in while Blake and Sun looked at each other and shrugged. Eventually, they joined in as well.

"Unbelievable," Weiss scoffed, "Can't you see we're in publ-WOAH!"

Yang grabbed the heiress' wrist and made her join in...much to her _and_ my embarrassment.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I stared at Yang.

"Yep," she laughed.

While this was happening, Epsilon was practically "rolling on the ground" in my head.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha,_" he laughed, "_This is too good. I so wish I could see your face right now._"

S-Shutup Epsilon!

I just simply stood there blushing under my glasses and balaclava.

* * *

**End: RWBY OST-Wings Slow Mix**

* * *

**Later: In an unknown location…**

"How could everything could have gone so wrong!?" Roman fumed as he entered the warehouse.

The job was supposed to be simple. Go in, grab the Dust, get out, and get paid. Yet tonight, his plans were foiled by a group of meddling kids and that gigantic-killer-mute.

The case of Dust he had in his hand was the only amount he could scavenge from the job-gone-south. He placed the black case on the table and released an drained sigh.

"How very disappointing of you Roman," a female voice announced.

"Woah!" he jumped, but quickly regained his bearings, "Oh, it's you. I didn't expect to see you guys so soon."

At the warehouse's entrance stood a woman with long black hair wearing a dark-red minidress with yellow designs outlining it. Next to her was a girl with tan skin and mint-green hair along with a young man who had silver-gray hair.

"We were expecting...more from you," the woman in red replied.

"H-Hey," Roman chuckled, "You were the one who suggested we work with those stupid mutts from the White Fang."

"Are you questioning my choices Roman?" the woman threatened, forming a fireball in her hand.

"Why not at all," the infamous criminal calmly replied, "Besides, what happened at the docks tonight wasn't my fault."

He took out his scroll and handed it to the woman. She opened it and it began to play the security footage of the battle that happened tonight. It showed the Meta on his murderous rampage as he chopped and/or blown-up every White Fang soldier that approached him. She paused the video when the armored monster looked directly at her.

"We ran into some...complications," criminal added.

The woman was silent for a few moments until she said, "Thank you Roman. You may go."

"Going to talk to your 'other' partner," he inquired, "I think I should at least get to know the people I'm working with."

"She said you can go," the girl next to the woman hissed.

Roman halted his attempt at prying for information, he knew it was best not to piss off the boss-lady...especially her lackeys. The infamous criminal did a mocking bow and walked off.

When he was gone, she finally spoke, "It seems an old 'asset' of yours has resurfaced."

Out of the warehouse's shadows came an elderly man with two people at his side as well.

The woman handed the newcomer the scroll and the man looked over the footage.

"Indeed," the man replies with a southern accent, "What do you make of this Counselor?"

Another man with dark skin, carrying a data-pad, approaches the group and observes the footage, "The Meta has been keeping a low profile for the past few months. It is strange as to why he has chosen now to resurface, much less is in Vale."

"Will he be a problem?" the woman asked.

The elderly man calmly crossed his arms behind his back, "I assure you Ms. Fall, we will look into the matter. Discreetly, of course."

"I expect to have this...problem resolved," the woman known as Ms. Fall turns away and walks off, "Or else we'll run into some complications of our own. My dear Director."

Ms. Fall then walked away with the other two at her heels. Now it was just the three members of Project Freelancer in the warehouse.

"Agent Carolina," the Director announced causing a female soldier wearing cyan armor approach him from behind.

"It seems you get to have your revenge after all," the man made a quick glance behind him, "You know what to do."

"Yes sir," Carolina saluted and exited the warehouse.

Once the cyan colored Freelancer was out of hearing range, the Counselor asked, "Are you sure this is wise Director? Agent Carolina's 'personal' involvement in this case may cause an error in judgement in the near future."

"...Do you know what makes a mission successful Counselor?" the Director asked back.

"Sir?"

"It is the drive to succeed," he answered, "Now that drive can come from anywhere: honor, duty, greed, fame, power," the man explained, "But no amount of firepower and intelligence will make a mission succeed more than the desire of a soldier to make that possible, by any means necessary. And no one...is more driven to kill the Meta, than our dear Agent Carolina."

The agent in question was making her way towards her mongoose in the motor pool, her fists clenched at her side. Inside her mind, she was abuzz with anticipation...and anger.

"_I finally found you Maine,_" Carolina raged as she got on her mongoose, "_You and Tex, I'm going to make you pay. I'll make you pay for killing Wash._"

* * *

**Author's note: Whoo boy! Okay there's some announcements I need to make.**

**First off, RWBY volume 2 will be premiering soon and I can't wait to "tweak" the story line a little...or a a lot. Who knows.**

**Second, I'm going on vacation for about three weeks. Gonna relax and reset my creative systems, which means I won't be updating for a while.**

**Don't freak out, I'll be back soon.**

**Omega: Don't worry _heh heh_, I'll watch over things when your gone.**

**Okay, that's it *grabs virtual shotgun* _cha-chink_**

**_BANG _Get out of my computer!**

**Omega: Mwahahaha! Make-!**

_**BANG *near Omega's head***_

**Omega: ...Okay**

**Screw logic! I've got a virtual shotgun!**

**GaryOkampo logging off...**

**[CONNECTION TERMINATED]**


End file.
